For Fame, Fortune, and Freedom
by StarvingLunatic
Summary: AU. After being accused of a crime that she didn't commit, Kim becomes an outlaw to avoid being executed. Join Kim on an adventure as she learns how to be a pirate and eventually becomes the captain of a pirate ship. KiGo, BetViv, BoNique, and RonYori.
1. Treachery on the High Seas

A/N: Okay, so I am finally back to writing and here is a brand new tale. A few things before you read this story: it's not supposed to be historical fiction. It's an AU in a sense that it doesn't take place in the KP universe, but it doesn't take place in this universe either. There are some historical tidbits sprinkled in, but it's set in a universe built up in my own head. Also, you know what to expect, there will be KiGo, along with BetViv, BoNique, and RonYori. Please, enjoy. I don't own these characters; Disney does. You should know that.

For Fame, Fortune, and Freedom

1: Treachery on the High Seas

The water was choppy and a dark navy, even when calm. It never seemed to match the sky unless a storm was coming. So much like home, but then again, it was the same ocean. Supposedly, in the colonies the water was different. A warm, bright teal, like liquid turquoise. She could not believe that, not when it was the same ocean.

"Are you all right?" the smooth, mellow voice of her fiancé inquired.

Olive eyes turned to meet blue. "I'm fine. Just looking out into the water," she answered in a somewhat low voice.

He chuckled a bit, partly due to the volume that she used because it was like she did not want to disturb the water. "Kim, I don't know how you do it. I get seasick just thinking about looking over the side, yet you come out here and stare into the water almost everyday since our journey began," he commented.

"Josh, you get sick when you ride your horse too quickly," Kim pointed out, a teasing, but loving smile adorning her face. She turned to face her fiancé, looking into his sapphire colored eyes.

The brunette male, Josh Mankey, snickered a bit at the jib. He put his arm around the redhead, letting her know there were no hard feelings for the remark. She smiled, leaning into his warm body and taking comfort in his mere presence. A content sigh escaped both of them as her hand trailed up and down the soft material of his cobalt coat.

"So, have you seen any of those sea monsters that they claim roam these waters devouring ships?" Josh inquired, focusing on his fiancée instead of the rough waves below them. Sometimes, it helped to keep the seasickness at bay if he kept his attention on her more than anything else, not that he really needed an excuse to pay her mind, though.

"The only monsters I've noticed are the crew," Kim commented as olive green eyes glanced back on deck. Just from a quick look, she could see several crewmen leering at her. A disgusted snarl tugged at her top lip, but she managed to keep it from taking control of her face.

"Kimmie," Josh cooed, pulling her a little closer. "I told you this is a reputable ship. The Hench Company hires respectable men to work on their ships. Hench needs to if he wants to keep his company going through, carrying both cargo and passengers. So, don't worry about it. They're not going to bother you as long as you stay close to me," he assured her, kissing her hair as if that proved him right.

Kim smiled a little, even though she wanted to dispute his claim. So far, though, he had been correct. She stayed close to him and the crew did not bother her. Yes, they watched her in ways that she disliked, but no one had said anything or touched her yet. She hoped that it did not come to that or there would be Hell to pay.

"We'll be in the colonies soon, so you shouldn't even worry about it," Josh soothed her nerves, rubbing the small of her back. She did not really feel the caress thanks to her gown, but she could imagine it and that was good enough for now.

"I'm not worrying about," she replied confidently, which he expected. "You know, I don't understand how the colonies can have water that's supposed to be so bright and green when it's the same ocean as this," she commented, looking back at the sea.

"Well, the southern colonies are supposedly very beautiful places, so I can only imagine them having beautiful, calm water to go along with it," he said.

She nodded. "You've never been to the colonies before even though you had family there?"

"Nope. I've never been to the colonies before. It's a bit horrid that I have to go under these circumstances. I liked my uncle and I'm grateful that he left me anything in death, but I'd rather have him alive," the brunette stated.

"I know, sweetheart." She gently patted his arm.

There was a moment of peaceful silence between them before he spoke again. "I think when we get there, I'm going to do some painting. I want you to describe the water to me and I hope that I can recreate what you saw."

"Why would you want to? I haven't seen any of the sea monsters you're so interested in," she informed him with a teasing smile.

"I want to because you seem so interested in it," he smoothly answered.

"I am fortunate to have someone so interested in my thoughts," she remarked.

"As if you would have it any other way," he pointed out with a smile of his own. "But, I do adore you, in spite of your many unladylike qualities," he jibbed, tweaking her small nose a little.

Kim giggled a bit and they fell silent. The salty breeze cut through them and this only made Kim think more about the colonies. She knew that she had to experience them for herself or she would always wonder about the things that she read. Was it true that the colonies felt like summer all the time? How could they when they were lying in the same ocean that she was now in? How could they when they were on the same ocean as her home? This dark, foreboding body of water that made everything around it seem bleak and cold. She just could not fathom the colonies being such a paradise if they existed in waters that looked like they belonged to the underworld.

"Come on, let's go in before we freeze," Josh commented, rubbing her shoulder as if that would keep them both warm.

Kim nodded, even though she really did not want to go in yet. The air did not bother her, but she gave in for Josh. He was kind to her most of the time through all of her quarks, so she liked to return the favor whenever she could.

Securing his hand around his fiancée's, Josh led them below the deck to their small cabin. Kim ignored the few leers they got on the way from greasy, salty sailors. A sigh of relief did escape her voice as Josh locked their cabin door, assuring that the crew would stay outside. This was the first time in her life that Kim preferred being in a tight, enclosed area rather than out in fresh air.

"I can't wait until we get to the colonies," the redhead commented, sitting on the flat straw mattress that was their bed for the voyage.

Josh smiled. "I hope you wait until no one's watching to turn a series of flips," he quipped. He suspected that he had the only lady in the entire Empire from a proper family that could do multiple somersaults.

She scoffed and threw her head back. "I'm going to do them as soon as I set foot on the dock. So, you might as well get your story straight as to why don't know me now," she countered with a grin.

"I'd never deny you, sweetheart," he cooed, eyes shining as he focused on her.

"You sweet-talker you. Can't be a wonder why I'm marrying you when we get back home," she commented.

"And here it is I thought you were marrying me because your dad had that gun at my back," he joked, walking over to her and leaning down. He pressed his forehead to hers, smiling dreamily from the simple contact.

"Is that it? That probably is. I mean, why else would I settle for a painter and musician?" she teased.

Those words got a laugh out of him. He placed a light peck to her willing lips before sitting down next to her. Silence reigned over the tiny cabin as they settled in, eyes scanning the small space as if that would make it grow.

"Honestly, if this is the only trip we ever make to the colonies, that'll be fine with me," Josh commented, leaning against the wall and pulling Kim back with him.

"Yeah? What is it about the trip that's getting to you? Aside for the fact that you can't stand outside for more than five minutes before you have to throw up?" she inquired, playing with his fingers in order to stay occupied.

"Like you, I don't like being in a small space for too long. Of course, I handle it way better than you do," he remarked, smirking a little.

"A rabid dog handles small spaces better than I do," she admitted with a laugh. She was not made for tight places. She had too much energy and liked being able to move around. The limited areas on the ship did not afford her that freedom. She suspected things would be better if she could travel the whole ship, but she made it a point to stay away from any place that could trap her with a crewmember.

"That's one of the things I love about you," he confessed in a mellow tone, warm breath tickling her ear.

"There goes that sweet-talk again. I have to admit that I do love that about you."

A soft smile graced his youthful face and he nuzzled his nose against her neck. Giggles escaped her and she reached up to caress his face. This was another thing that she loved about him; the fact that he brought out this girlish, almost silly side of her.

The couple took their evening meal in their little cabin. Josh then fell asleep, quite easily. Kim knew it was his way of escaping his uncomfortable circumstances—the rocking of the ship. Josh had been seasick for most of the trip and had quickly learned to fall asleep as fast as possible to avoid suffering. She helped by running her fingers through his hair; it was something that always relaxed him and made him nod off.

She listened to the sound of the waves outside, wondering if they were still that midnight blue or if they had gotten to the place where the sea turned teal. Underneath that, she listened to the boots and footfalls that went by the locked door. Sometimes, she noted pauses in the steps, mutters outside the door, and then the footsteps continuing on. Olive eyes glared at the door when some brave soul actually tried to open the door.

Not many things made the redhead skittish, but nighttime on the ship did just that. She could feel the intent of some of the crewmembers much stronger, making her suspect that they planned to strike her at night. She never knew what a loathsome thing it could be to be the only woman on a ship. _Damned suspicious sailors and their tiny cargo ships_.

As the sun climbed into the sky, sunlight peeking through the cracks in the boards, Kim decided to venture out on deck. She wanted to see if they had finally made it to the spot where the ocean turned from turbulent cobalt to a brilliant cerulean. She also figured she would pick up her and her beau's morning meals. Placing a gentle kiss to Josh's slightly parted lips, she pulled away from her snoozing fiancé and ventured topside.

"I can't wait until we hit land, just so I can take a warm bath," Kim muttered, strolling over to the side of the vessel.

The one thing aside for the crew that Kim disliked about being stuck onboard a ship for months was the lack of bathing. Not just for her, but for everyone around her also. The grim from days of simmering under the sun with little shade and the salty air drying her skin out made Kim long for land. The smell of the crew and even her fiancé made her beseech God almost hourly for the colonies.

Olive eyes cast off over the side and noted a change. The waves were still topped with white, but the water was a deep sapphire now. It looked like an evening sky with tiny clouds sailing along. Kim was now starting to believe that the water of the colonies might be the wonderful blue-green described to her by the many books that she had read, travelers that she spoke with, and her own beloved, but she would have to wait and see.

Her attention went away from the water as she felt movement behind her. She turned to see pair of the crewmen watching her. The sparks in their eyes made her curl her lip in disgust. Part of her wished that they would just go ahead and try, so that she could show that they picked the wrong girl to ogle.

She forgot about that little saying where she should be careful what she wished for.

* * *

Soup and stew were staple meals on ships; Kim had not known that until that voyage. She did not have many problems with it. In fact, she adjusted to it much easier than Josh did. To keep his ego from getting too deflated, she promised him that it was more than likely because he suffered from seasickness most of the time. Really, he just had a weak constitution and they both knew that. He did appreciate that she tried to spare his pride, though, and often went along with her.

With the food in hand, Kim tried to make her way back to the cabin, hoping that her beau would be up and ready to face yet another day on a ride that kept him perpetually ill. Her trip was delayed as her path was blocked by three surely crewmen, each missing teeth and in desperate need of a razor and comb. Kim hoped that they would let her by, but she could feel in her bones that it was about time for the crew to prove they were jackasses.

"Hey, there, sweet fishy," one of the sailor's commented, his raw breath slapping against her good senses just as much as his rough intent as they cornered her against the wall.

"You're looking mighty…tasty," another added in, hissing as he spoke. Kim flinched, getting the feeling that he thought he was being charming.

"If you're hungry, the kitchen is right down there," Kim remarked, a smart-ass smirk on her face despite her current predicament.

"We're looking for something with a little more substance," the third man quipped, open leer on his rotten face.

"I think your eyes might be bigger than your bellies here, gents," she informed them.

The trio decided not to heed her warning or even stop to think about the strange, confident smile adorning her face as they advanced on her. Reaching out for the lithe form before them without permission, they quickly found out why she was smiling. Not needing her hands to make short work of her would-be assailants, Kim carefully kept the food in her grip while whipping her foot across the faces of two of the men. As soon as she brought her leg back down, she used the other to take out the third man.

The force caused all of the men to fall back. Their hands automatically went to their faces as shock and pain rippled through their cheeks. Angry eyes glared up at the smirking redhead.

"Like I said, eyes bigger than your bellies," she commented again, wiggling her eyebrows at them.

"Wench!" one man screamed, causing his jaw to throb in pain.

Kim prepared as all three men lunged for her again, pushing themselves up from the cold deck with their right hands drawn back. Kim expertly avoided their punches and managed another kick to one's head. Another grabbed her shoulder, trying to rip her dress open. She growled and force-fed him a bowl of hot soup, slamming her morning meal in his face. The bowl muffled his agonized cries as his face was scolded. With her hand now free, she turned it onto the third sailor and hit him with a force that would have made him beg to feel her leg again. The blow connected with his nose and instantly broke it.

"Now, you've gone and ruined my breakfast," Kim remarked, shaking her head like a disapproving mother.

The three men seemed to be down for the time, so she was going to continue on her way. A tug on her skirts halted her. She turned to see the man that she hit with the soup, yanking on her dress, apparently still intent on humiliating her. A snarl escaped her lips as she brought her foot down on his head several times until his hand went limp, falling to the floor.

Seeing their mate fall still, the two other men cowered out of her way as Kim walked by them. She made sure to face forward and look ahead, showing no fear and the utmost confidence in herself. The men wisely let her go to her room unmolested. She breathed a sigh of relief when she was tucked away inside the little cabin, making sure to lock the door behind her. As much as she knew she could fight the crewmen and win, she disliked having to do it because she did not want to put up with such wickedness in the first place.

"I hope that'll be enough to keep them from staring at me until I can get off this floating hellhole," she muttered to herself.

Green eyes turned to Josh, who was still sleeping soundly. Kim smiled a bit, shaking her head. She sat down next to him and rubbed his stomach. A groan escaped the sleeping body before his eyes fluttered open.

"I brought breakfast and you need to move around a bit before you go back to sleep," she told him.

He smiled a bit and knew better than to argue. He sat up, making a few noises as if it pained him to do so. Succeeding in his task, he earned a kiss on the cheek from his fiancée.

"Why'd you only get one bowl?" Josh asked curiously.

She smiled a bit. "Well, you know I don't like to be below deck too long and I didn't feel like waiting for the cook to make more soup for another bowl," she lied. She did not want to worry him about her actions because she did not think much of it. He had enough problems anyway with his sickness and he was still grieving from the loss of his uncle.

He accepted her answer. "I guess we can share. Not like I'm going to eat much of it anyway."

She did not comment on that, knowing it was true. They split the bowl; Josh did not eat much. Moments after eating, Josh's face became just a little pale. The movement of the ship and food in his stomach did not agree. He held on for a while, but eventually fell asleep to avoid throwing up. Kim stayed by him, caressing his head to help keep him relaxed.

After some hours, Josh stirred and she convinced him to move around a little. He stood on shaky legs; she held him to steady him. He groaned while walking around the tiny space. He shook his head.

"I think I need a little air," he said.

Kim nodded and helped him out of the room. They made their way to the top deck and Josh inhaled deeply as soon as they did. Glances came their way, but Josh did not notice and Kim ignored the looks.

"Hey, let's go look at the water while we're out here. It might be that beautiful green I was telling you about," Josh said, forcing out a smile. He had heard about the color of the water in the colonies through hundreds of correspondents with his now deceased uncle.

She chuckled a bit and they walked over to the end of the deck. She peered over the side while he kept his eyes focused on her. The water was as it was that morning, mimicking an evening sky. It brought a smile onto her face.

"It's getting there," Kim told him. He smiled because he could hear the excitement in her voice.

"I can't wait for you to see it. You'll love it," he told her. He knew that she would appreciate it, which was one of the things that he loved about her. She was not an artist in any way that most would define it, but she could appreciate little things with him.

"I know I will."

Josh nodded and then he looked around. The air around him was suddenly heated and harsh, and he knew that it had nothing to do with the climate. Cautiously, he scanned the ship with his eyes, noticing that he and his future-bride had the attention of quite a few crewmembers and they did not appear happy. The hostile glares was different from the leers of the previous days.

"Let's go back to the cabin," Josh suggested in a low voice.

Kim nodded, picking up on the fact that something was making him uncomfortable. They returned to their cabin, where Josh fell back to sleep almost immediately. Kim listened as footsteps passed their locked door. A few times, she heard hushed whispers and low, hissing voices. She shook her head.

"Idiots. Don't they know they can't beat me and they definitely can't have me?" she bragged to the air.

Even though Kim was certain that the crewmen could not defeat her, she did not leave the cabin. When Josh woke up, his stomach was in knots, so there was no point to go get dinner. He knew that he would not be able to keep it down.

"I'd rather you not go out there anyway," he muttered to Kim in a low voice as she settled in the bed next to him to sleep for the night.

"You shouldn't worry about me. I can take care of myself," she replied.

"I know you can, but sometimes I'd rather you play it safe rather than tempt fate," he countered.

"I'll try to be careful. We don't have to put up with this too much longer anyway, right?"

"No, we should be in the colonies soon."

"Soon" was definitely not soon enough for either of their liking, but they could not do anything about it. The next day, Kim woke up hungry and knew that she had to leave the cabin; they needed food. Besides, she did not want those filthy sailors to think that they scared her. She wanted to make it clear that they did not rule her. So, while Josh slept, Kim unlocked the door and left. She made sure to lock it back before going about her business.

She went to the top deck, wanting to see the water and what the weather was like for a moment. Before she could make it to where she wanted to go, she paused as she heard voices just out of sight. She would not have thought anything of it, but she heard one of them say "the girl." She was the only girl onboard, so she knew that they might be talking about her.

"So, I hear the girl is the one that thumped up Pete and his two lackeys. Those idiots should just listen to the captain. He told them not to touch her."

"He tells them a lot of things, but they don't listen half the time. They're dumb enough not to listen, but smart enough to pull off stupid shit. Pete's not the type to just sit back and take something like that, though."

"No, he wants that girl to sit back and take it. I gotta admit, he's got a good eye. That girl is cute."

"That she is. I just hope he don't cause no trouble. The captain ain't gonna be kind if something happens on this trip."

"Knowing Pete, he ain't thinking about that. He's just thinking about getting in them skirts. All he talks about is her ass, after all. I'm shocked he held out this long."

"Yeah, but now he's just gonna want her more now that she's kicked his ass. He's just going to have to figure out how to get her in a position where she can't whip his ass again."

Kim frowned, hating to know that things were not over yet. Turning, she rushed back to the room, thinking that it would be best if she just stayed in the cabin for the rest of the journey. For some reason, as she practically ran to the cabin, her stomach dropped into her feet. Something was wrong; she could feel it.

She paused at the door, feeling an intense ache in her chest. A trembling hand reached out for the door and tried to open it. She found it still locked, which she knew should have set her at ease. Only she and Josh were supposed to have keys to the cabin, so if the door was still locked nothing should be wrong, she reasoned. Her emotions were not buying the reasoning, though.

Hurrying, she opened the door, nearly going through it just to get inside. The sight that greeted her caused her to scream at the top of her lungs. Josh was on the bed, covered in blood, throat slashed from ear to ear.

"No, baby, no," Kim muttered, shaking her head as she bolted over to him.

The redhead embraced the body of her fiancé, blooding splattering onto her. Panicking, she murmured how everything would be all right while trying to cover his mortally wounded throat. Tears streamed down her face and her heart squeezed in on itself as she wrapped the sheet around his neck, hoping to save him somehow. Josh was already dead, though.

"It's okay, baby. It's okay. This is nothing! I can fix this and we'll be in the colonies soon and everything'll be fine!" Kim ranted, sniffling and wiping away the crimson liquid hiding her beloved from her.

Sobs escaped her, tears mixing with blood, as she tried so desperately to "fix" her future-husband. Barely a minute passed before there was a crowd outside her open door and a familiar face at the forefront of the mob. An open leer was thrown the distraught woman's way before the rest of her world was blown apart.

"Murderess! Murderess!" her one time assailant—Pete she believed he was called—shouted above the din of the crowd. He pointed at Kim as if she was the worst human being in the world and the mob was drawn by his accusations. All eyes looked at Kim as if she was a demon.

"I didn't! We have to help him! Please! Please!" Kim begged.

Yet no one moved. Seconds later the crowd parted and a tall, dashing figure stepped into view. It was the captain.

"What's going on here?" the Captain demanded.

"That demon lass, sir! She gone and killed her beau!" Pete hollered.

The accusation instantly lit a fire in olive eyes and she glared at the man as if she was the demon he accused her of being. He flinched in fear and his heart raced, thinking that she might be able to kill him from across the room. But, then he remembered that he was the one in control this time.

"I would never!" Kim screamed in defiance. "I came in and found him like this!"

The Captain gave her a hard look. "You found him like this? Isn't your room always locked, Miss?"

Kim frowned, which turned into a scowl when she noticed Pete smirking. "You bastard! You killed Josh, didn't you?" she screamed, getting up to rush the filthy cur. The Captain blocked her path.

"Miss, you and your husband are the only ones with keys to this room. I made sure of that, so if your room was locked as always then I have to assume you're the one that did this. Some of my men have reported that you and your husband argued quite a bit, so this was more than likely one quarrel that you did not see fit to lose," the Captain assumed.

"We never argued! Your crewmen are disgusting liars!" Kim roared.

"Miss—"

Kim was done with his calm accusations. Using leverage, she took his legs out from underneath him and went right for the beast she was certain took Josh from her. The fires of Hell burning in her eyes, she leaped on Pete like a lion on a zebra. The only thing that saved him from feeling her wrath were that other men in the crowd pulled her off of him before she could inflect major damage.

"If you're pleading your temper, lass, I think we can all rest assured that you're guilty," the Captain decided as he climbed back to his feet. "My crew had orders not to bother with you and my crew always follow orders," he stated, needing to salvage some of his ego now.

Everyone on the crew knew that was a lie, but the Captain needed to at least have the illusion that he was always in command. Besides, it would be bad for all of them if what Kim said was true. Not only would they never work on another ship again, but they could possibly be brought up on charges of some kind, the Captain especially since he was in command. The Empire did not play when it came to crimes committed at sea because it could affect the economy as well as travel between the colonies.

"Chain her down in the brig. We'll deal with her once we get to port!" the Captain ordered in a firm tone.

Kim only released a guttural roar; enough to send shivers down the spines of the men that held her. They began to drag her away while she glared at Pete with all the malice in the world. He smirked at her, blew her a kiss, and waved a familiar looking key at her; apparently, she and Josh were not the only ones that had access to that room. She cried out at the top of her voice again, whipping around to break free of the crew.

Several men hit the floor, not quite sure what caused them to fall; Kim's legs were very deadly weapons. The redhead took off, wanting to rip Pete apart, knowing he was the one that stole Josh from her and this world. Pete wisely put the Captain between them, hoping that Kim had the good sense to not attack the Captain again.

"Get her! Make sure she's chained down good!" the Captain commanded.

The redhead balked, some sense replacing her anger. If she was chained down, Pete and his cronies would be able have their way with her. She would be broken by the time they got to port and no one would believe that she had not slain her beloved if a ship full of men swore otherwise. Plus, it would be very difficult to get revenge for Josh if she was swinging from the end of a rope. So, instead of pursuing Pete, Kim made a break for the top deck.

"After her! Get her!" the Captain shouted to everyone around.

Kim leaped up the stairs as she heard heavy footfalls behind her. It was not until she got to the top deck did she realize that she did not have anywhere to go. She backed up to the edge as the crew marched closer to her, Pete at the forefront.

"Come on, Miss. There's no place for you to go now," Pete pointed out, a leer gleaming in his eyes.

Kim glanced behind her, seeing the sapphire waves beneath her. Her mind quickly pointed out her options—stay on the ship to be chained up and left to Pete and whoever else felt like violating her until they pulled into port where she would be tied and hung for the murder of her fiancé or escape into the sea and possibly drown or freeze to death. It did not even take a second.

Kim jumped.

* * *

Next time: Kim wakes up in the last place she wants to be—on another ship.


	2. The Little Mermaid

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters; Disney does.

2: The Little Mermaid

The shrill cry of sea gulls echoed through the clear day over the soft sound of breaking waves. The sun peeked out behind thin clouds roaming through the sky. The air was warm, but a gentle breeze blew off the water that made the temperature perfect. It was a peaceful day and it seemed like it might stay that way.

"Hey, I think we have floater on the port side, Captain!"

_And there was goes the peace_. The Captain sighed and looked over to the crewman. "Bring it aboard! It might have some valuables on it!"

"It's come down to this, my love? You're plucking coins off of corpses?" The question was asked by a gentle voice with a teasing lilt to it.

"Don't start, Vivi. It's not like the corpse needs the money," the Captain pointed out, lightly slapping Vivi on the backside. It was quite easy to do since Vivi was straddling the Captain's waist.

Vivi yelped from the soft swat. She then leaned down, causing blonde hairs to tickle the Captain's face. "I didn't start anything, but you're about to start something if you keep hitting me like that in front of the crew."

"Says the woman lying in my lap, using me like a mattress. I wouldn't suggest you threatening me on my ship, Vivi."

"Your ship? My dear Captain, if I left right now, you'd be lost at sea for the rest of your life. You'd be forced to eat Will," the blonde joked.

"I was unaware that wood was edible." The retort was made in a dry tone.

A teasing smile worked its way onto a smooth, creamy face. "Trust me, as I know all about that."

A growl escaped the Captain. "Is that slight against me, Vivi? Talking about the captain is mutiny 'round these parts, ya know?"

"Ah, I wonder what the terrible Hound of the Sea would have done to this poor noblewoman that was kidnapped at such a young age."

"Kidnapped my ass. And don't even get me started on the noblewoman rubbish you're spouting, Vivi. Now, can I get back to enjoying this warm, peaceful day before we get back to business as usual?"

A taunting sigh was followed by a simple, "Fine."

This put a smile on the Captain's face. An onyx eye drifted shut while arms wrapped themselves tightly around the blonde's slender body. Sleep was mere moments away when the Captain was called again.

"Captain, you better come look at this!"

A growl. "What? What do I have to look at? If you've seen one dead body, you've seen 'em all! Now, just check the damn thing for valuables and then throw it back in the damn water before it stinks up my ship!" the Captain ordered.

"I think it's a mermaid!"

The Captain made a strangled noise, not sure where to start being outraged from those words. "Are you some new kind of idiot?"

"Betty," came the scolding tone from above.

"Vivian, don't! You know more than the rest of these curs how long I've been wanting to just relax for five minutes and now I have to put up with hearing foolishness about mermaids!" the Captain reminded the blonde.

"But, you're the one that ordered they pull the body in, Betty. So, stop whining and go see what they want."

The Captain frowned. "I, the feared and deadly Hound of the Sea, Betty Blackheart do not whine, Vivian."

"You're doing it now. Now, get up before I let your crew know your surname is far from Blackheart." And there was that teasing smile again.

The Captain grumbled under her breath, but she did not say anything. She shifted Vivian to the side, sliding the blonde off of her. After that, she climbed to her full height and yawned. She had a feeling this was the end of her lazy day.

Clear blue eyes followed Captain Betty as straightened out her navy blue jerkin (1). Vivian was about taunt the Captain with a whistle, but she decided against it and just made it a point to look extra-comfortable in the Captain's favorite lounge chair. Betty glanced back just in time to see Vivian stretch out like a lazy kitten.

"Oh, Vivi, if you weren't my navigator," Betty scowled, shaking a fist at the blonde.

A flash of white teeth gleamed in the light as Vivian smiled. "Is that really the only thing saving me, dear?"

The brunette captain only frowned deeper and walked off before Vivian ended up embarrassing her any more than she already did. Stepping down from the poop deck, Betty marched over to the crewman who obviously could not handle one corpse on his own…or one mermaid as he would like her to believe it was. She was thinking about how she could punish him for stirring her from her very comfortable resting place when she suddenly saw why he called her.

"A girl…?" Betty muttered to herself when she saw the wet, petite body of drowned redhead on the floor. She then noticed the slight rise and fall of her small chest. "A live girl…?" she corrected herself. While the girl was clearly not a mermaid, she could understand why she was disturbed now.

"Eh, Captain, what should we do?" the sailor asked.

Betty sighed and shook her head. "How troublesome. Take her to my quarters. Maybe our resident know-it-all can do something about this drowned mermaid."

The sailor shrugged and Betty turned her attention back to the poop deck. How troublesome indeed. She was going to have to go back to Vivian now—whom she had made it a point to be especially mean to all morning—and ask for her help. Well, it was either that or she would have to handle the strange mermaid girl on her own…for Vivian to find out later.

"Since I have no desire for the crew to raise a blue flag (2) anytime soon, I'll let Vivi tend to the girl," Betty commented to the air as she walked back up the stairs to the poop deck. She growled again and made a tight, aggravated fist when she saw that Vivian had the nerve to actually fall asleep! It was supposed to be her lazy day, not everyone else's!

Sighing, the Captain's shoulders slumped. She had to remember that she needed to be on Vivian's good side right now. If she asked Vivian for the favor and Vivian rebuffed her, it would only lead to more trouble down the line. With that in mind, she gently shook the blonde awake.

"Hmm…it's a little early and out in the open for you to be hovering over me, my dear," Vivian remarked with a small smile as her eyes focused on the Captain.

"I have a matter I need you to attend to," Betty replied in a low, tense tone.

Vivian's smile transferred into a smirk; one that the Captain fully recognized. "Ah, but I thought you didn't like performing for the crew," she teased, reaching out and grasping the brunette's arm.

A familiar growl echoed in the wind. "Not that kind of matter! It seems the mermaid they fished out is still breathing."

"And…?"

Betty's body shook with frustration. "And I wanted you to attend to her, but if her royal highness is too busy napping, I suppose I could take care of it!" she snapped. Oh, boy, she knew that she was going to get it later on for the attitude, but she did not care at the moment. Vivi was so frustrating sometimes!

Sky-colored eyes narrowed. "You could take care of what? Pawing at this girl?"

"Oh, now I have your attention. Before, I couldn't get the time of day when I requested your help, but now when you think I'm going to have my hands all over some pretty body you suddenly care!"

"Pretty?"

The crew, being quite used to the Captain and Vivian's bickering, went on like nothing was happening. Eventually both stormed off the poop deck, retreating to the Captain's quarters. The crew was actually surprised that the noise did not continue there. In fact, the silence was so strange that it was deafening from the sailors.

"Vivian…killed the Captain?" one man suggested.

"Idiot! As if! Sure, the Captain acts scared of Vivian, but in a real fight, we all know that the fearsome Hound of the Sea would devour Vivian!" someone countered. And this brought on bets as to who was killed since there was no screaming coming from the Captain's cabin.

* * *

"So, how is she?" Betty asked from her seat across the room…where she could not see any of the "mermaid's" body. It was a strategic position on her part, so she would not later be accused of sneaking peeks, which would lead to an argument that she really did not care to have.

"Aside for almost drowning, it seems that there's nothing majorly wrong with her. I was a bit concerned over the blood stains on her clothing, but she's not cut anywhere. Well, not recent cuts anyway," Vivian reported. She was standing over the young woman, who they had laid down on the bed.

An eyebrow rose over Betty's eye-patch. "Not recent cuts?" That seemed like an odd thing to point out.

"There were light marks here and there. I suspect she had an active childhood. Probably something like you," Vivian replied, turning to smile at the Captain.

Betty smiled a little too. "We don't run into lots of people that are 'something like me.'"

"It could be a sign that we found this mermaid then."

"Yeah, we could use an extra-deck hand!" the Captain joked.

"Remind me not to vote for you again when we need a captain," Vivian teased. A small groan from their cabin-mate drew their attention back to the figure on the bed.

Betty marched over just as olive green eyes fluttered open. The Captain stood by Vivian as they peered into deep eyes that were clearly looking past them. They suspected those eyes were looking past the ceiling, maybe even past the world.

In fact, the world was a meaningless blur to the owner of those green eyes. Even the pain tearing through the worn-out, half-drowned body was inconsequential. The mind barely registered that water was not all around anymore.

"Awake now, are you, mermaid?" Betty inquired.

"Careful sitting up," Vivian cautioned, but the petite body did not heed her warning.

The redhead rushed up, a deep, agonized moan escaping her. Despite the obvious pain that poured through her eyes, she remained standing up. Vivian hunched over a little, in case she needed to catch the young woman. Betty just watched, unconcerned.

"I can guess I'm not dead…unless Hell smells like the ocean and has sea gulls in it," the young woman muttered.

The blonde had to chuckle at that. "Well, this might be Hell, but I can assure you that you're not dead," she informed their guest.

"Where am I?" the redhead inquired in a groggy tone. Her eyes scanned her new surroundings, noting that nothing appeared familiar.

"On the _Global Justice_," Vivian answered.

The redhead frowned. "Another ship, great," she grumbled. "Where are you bound for?"

"We don't have a real destination right now. Why, mermaid? Someone chasing you?" Betty asked with a bit of a sneer. Vivian reached over and patted her hand, knowing that the brunette was in a funk over what she felt was a slight against her ship because of the younger woman's attitude.

"Does it matter?" the young woman countered.

"Actually, it doesn't. This would be the perfect place to be if someone is chasing you. Joining up with Betty Blackheart's crew means no one in their right mind—or even their wrong mind—would mess with you," Vivian remarked, a light laugh escaping her.

"Betty Blackheart…?" the dazed woman echoed, brow furrowing in thought. The name sounded vaguely familiar, but she could not remember where she heard it. She could not remember much of anything at the moment.

Betty frowned again; she was only the most dreaded pirate in the waters, and yet this little whelp had not heard of her? Vivian squeezed Betty's hand a little tighter to rein in her temper. Betty sighed and ran her hand through her short, brown hair.

"You might know her better as Betty Director," Vivian supplied, earning a monstrous glare from the Captain. The blonde gave a small, angelic smile as a false apology.

The redhead thought on that for a few seconds and then suddenly nodded. "Oh, the daughter of the shipping company baron that went missing a few years ago. Why are you on a ship then?" she asked curiously.

"I didn't go missing. I took this ship and went out on my own when my idiot father decided there was no way he would let a woman take control of his company. He just says I'm missing now to save face. If anything, it's this idiot who's missing," Betty commented, jabbing her thumb at Vivian.

"Vivian Francis Porter," the blonde introduced herself, extending her hand to the redhead.

Olive eyes blinked hard, recognizing that name almost instantly. "Your husband is a baron…Rumors have been flying that you were kidnapped by pirates…"

"Rumors are just that. I'm this ship's navigator and part-time doctor, making me the most important person on this ship, despite how it might look," Vivian boasted. "And you are?"

"Oh!" the redhead chirped, coloring slightly as she realized her rudeness. "I am Kim Possible."

Betty nodded. "Well, Kim Possible, you look well enough and able-bodied enough to know this is a pirate ship, and you're now the latest addition to the crew."

Oddly enough, Kim did not look alarmed. Vivian looked over at Betty, who just arched an eyebrow to the lack of reaction. Olive eyes just swept over the cabin and then back to the two older women.

"A pirate ship?" Kim echoed and then she pointed to Betty. "And you're the Captain?" she asked curiously, face laced with mild confusion.

"Actually, I only let her think she's in charge," Vivian remarked, bumping the Captain with her hip.

Betty groaned and mumbled something that suspiciously sounded like, "This really is Hell."

"So, I've been conscripted into the crew. How did I even get here?" Kim inquired in a perplexed tone, looking around. "The last thing I remember…" she trailed off as flashes of blood and Josh's lifeless body clashed in her mind. Her body started to shake and she wrapped her arms around herself, trying to keep her being together.

Blue eyes softened with some understanding as Vivian sat down next to Kim on the bed. She put her arms around the younger woman and held her. Betty stood still, watching and noting that Kim really did not register the presence embracing her. It was like Kim did not need the embrace, Betty thought. Although she knew that Vivian would not see things that way, so she did not share her thoughts.

"We fished you out of the water, mermaid," Betty informed the redhead, knowing that Kim would hear her despite the fact that it seemed like she was lost in her own head. "You were basically dead when you got hooked. So, now, you're part of the crew. Don't try to wiggle your way out of it."

Kim nodded, which Betty actually expected. She was pretty good at reading people and she could see strength in the petite form cluttering her bed. The petite form that Vivian was cuddling against like a stuffed doll, she realized.

"And, try to stay away from Vivi. She's the greatest troublemaker here," Betty declared.

"Only when it comes to you, my dear," Vivian replied with a sly smile.

Kim noticed the expression, but did not have the brainpower to ponder it at the moment. A grunt escaped the Captain as she left the cabin, giving Vivian a simple look. The blonde nodded.

"Well, Kim, first thing we need to do is get you out of those clothes. Now, you'll never be able to fit anything from me or Betty and unfortunately we don't have any other female crewmembers at the moment. But, we'll figure something out," Vivian proclaimed.

"No other female crewmembers?" Kim echoed. _Great, on another boat full of horny men_. "Dare I ask why?" It seemed odd to her that the Captain was a woman and there was the very feminine blonde in front of her, so for some reason, she thought that there would be other women on board.

Vivian smiled. "They tend to leave once they earn enough money to make a respectable living. The men are much too shortsighted for that and blow their earnings on wine and women."

"I can believe that."

"Yes, now, let's find something for you to wear. Do you have any preferences? I'll warn you, it'll be hard to do any work in a dress."

"I don't mind trousers," Kim informed her. Vivian nodded.

* * *

Betty was standing on the poop deck, staring down at her crew. She had them assembled to have a brief meeting. Her hard onyx eye gazed down on them, letting them know that she meant business and they had better listen to what she had to say.

"Men, we'll be getting a new crewmember in a few minutes. She's a pretty little mermaid fished out of the sea. I expect you to treat her like any other sailor, but also expect you to be smart about how you handle her. You know how I am when we get lasses on _Global Justice_. Now, unless you be wanting to feel the kiss of my bullet or the embrace of my cutlass, I'm sure you all know what to do," Betty announced. She then turned to a young man standing behind her. "Make sure you keep them on their toes, Will."

The young man, Will, saluted. "Aye!"

"And, Will, try to be a little less…navy," Betty said, even though she knew that would be a waste of words.

As expected, Will's onyx eyes showed he had no idea what his Captain was talking about. Instead of getting a headache and explaining to Will for the millionth time that he was not in the navy anymore, Betty gave up. She threw her hands up and walked away, returning to her chair and determined to get back to her lazy day. That lasted for about five minutes before a shadow blocked her sun.

"Yes, Vivi?" Betty inquired, knowing it was the blonde even though she had her eye closed. The blonde was the only one onboard bold enough to stand before her when she was attempting to relax.

"I thought you might want to see our newest sailor in her new clothes," Vivian reported.

"Unless she's got a mop in her hand and is now scrubbing the deck, no, I don't want to see her," Betty replied, not bothering to look up. "Take her to Will and get her some chores." She then dismissed the blonde with a wave of her hand.

Vivian giggled and turned to Kim. "Today was supposed to be her day off, but you'll find that she's always grumpy unless she wants something."

"I suppose finding a 'mermaid' didn't help matters today," Kim quipped.

"I'm surprised since she likes mermaids, a little too much," Vivian replied, eyes narrowing on the Captain.

"I'm not letting you get to me, Vivi. Take her to Will and get out of my sun," the brunette commanded, sharply waving her hand to banish the blonde from her presence.

Vivian smiled a little. "I'll remember how thoroughly you dismissed me later on tonight."

The Captain made a strangle noise and her eye popped open just in time to see the backs of Vivian and Kim. They were down on deck before her throat cleared enough for her to say anything. Since they were gone, she fell back to her chair and just accepted that she was screwed…or, more accurately, she would not be.

"I'm taking you to meet Will Du. He's the boatswain," Vivian informed the redhead. "Do you know what that is?"

Kim shook her head. "Until recently, I was strictly a land-based creature."

Vivian smiled. "Funny that the crew is going to refer to you as the 'mermaid' from now on then. But, the boatswain is just in charge of making sure everyone's doing their jobs and keeps the ship sailing. He's a little uptight. Betty says he doesn't realize he's not in the navy anymore and she doubts that he ever will realize it."

Kim nodded, showing that she understood the parts that she needed to anyway. Before they made it to Will, she understood the rest. He was easy to pick out, barking out orders and standing so rigidly Kim considered he might be being held up by a metal rod. His clothing was much neater than the rest of the sailors and his hair was combed back unlike everyone else's. He did not have the appearance of a salty sea-dog like all of the other men.

"Hey, Will, this one's all yours," Vivian announced, patting Kim on the back.

Will turned to regard the pair. "Right. The Captain told me."

"Well, I'm sure the Captain didn't tell you this, I want you to take really good care of her. She reminds me of a certain grouch," Vivian remarked with a smile.

It seemed that Will did not get the joke—not that Vivian expected him to. His attention turned to Kim and he seemed to look at her as one would look at a hammer. She supposed that was much better than the way the sailors on the last ship she was on looked at her, but it still bothered her.

"Here," Will said, scooting a bucket of water over to Kim with a gentle nudge of his foot.

The redhead peered down into the clear water and Vivian shook her head. She did not say anything, but she had a feeling that using Kim to scrub the deck was a waste of talent. But, then again, there was really nothing else to do anyway. It was a lazy day, after all.

* * *

Next time: Kim learns about being a pirate.

1—a jerkin is a sleeveless, man's close-fitting jacket, which was typically made of leather.

2—pirates flew a blue flag when they lost their captain.


	3. Show your true colors

I don't own these characters; Disney does.

3: Show your true colors

"I think we should've nicknamed her Monkey instead of Mermaid," Betty remarked, eye on the rigging and the topsails.

Kim was flying through the topsails, making sure everything was secure and the sails had the amount of slack that the helmsman requested. The way that she moved was as if she was part bird, part cat, and part monkey. The confidence and assurance that she would never fall was written all through her motions. It impressed most of her fellow pirates enough for them to treat her like a real part of the crew and not just some "mermaid" they fished out of a watery grave.

"Ah, calling her Monkey would have belied her intelligence," Vivian scolded the Captain, going so far as to shake a finger at the brunette woman. An onyx eye rolled because of the actions.

"And calling her a mermaid belies all of our sanity, so what's your point?" Betty countered.

Vivian sighed and shook her head, declining to argue for the first time in a long time. The blonde walked off, leaving the poop deck and the Captain. Betty did not appear fazed by the sudden departure, but her eyes never left Vivian, especially when Kim came to the blonde woman's side. The Captain's face twitched just a little when the two started giggling; she could not hear what they were discussing. She did try to strain her ears to hear, but between the waves, the crew, and other noise, she definitely could not hear anything in their conversation.

"Kim, if I didn't know better I would think you were a traveling performer or something," Vivian commented, amusement dancing in her eyes.

Kim shook her head. "Nothing like that. I've just always been active and that's part of it."

"I can understand that being part of swinging from the sails, but I can't understand how it fits into you doing it without a care in the world. It's not like you've been swinging from sails your whole life," Vivian pointed out. Honestly, she could only wonder what type of life Kim had to be comfortable with such behavior and also quite good at such a job.

"Sails, no, but trees, fences, walls, just about any place high that you can imagine," Kim answered.

Vivian nodded. "I knew you were an interesting person, but it seems the more I speak with you, the more puzzling you become. I would question you until my throat is sore, but I doubt it would do me any good. I truly do not care what made you the way you are, but I do like you the way that you are. I think this life will suit you because of that."

Kim shrugged. "Whether it suits me or not isn't an issue. I'm here, so I might as well give it my all." _At least until we reach solid ground_.

"Just remember, this life is much more than swinging from sails, listening to Will bark out orders, and staring into the ocean," the blonde warned Kim.

"I'm not as naïve as you would take me, Vivian Porter," Kim boasted with a confident smirk. The older woman was not surprised by this cockiness as Kim had been displaying it, although it was a little more subtle before, since being picked up a few days ago. She noted that it seemed to be a part of Kim, not exactly arrogance, but a confidence that was embedded in her and shone in every move that she made.

"No, I don't suppose you are," Vivian answered, glancing up at the Captain. A small smile worked its way onto her face when she saw that Betty was watching her with a deep intensity. "I should leave you to your work, Kim. I actually have my own to do," she said, still smiling.

"Oh, right, you're the navigator," Kim recalled. "I would have thought that you charted the course already for this boat."

"It's a _ship_, Kim. If you're going to be a pirate, you have to first respect the vessel. This course has been plotted, but I try to stay several steps ahead of our Captain. It keeps her on her cute little toes," Vivian remarked, giggling a bit.

Kim regarded the woman with a glance, but nothing more. Having only been on the ship for a few days, she already noticed that the Captain and navigator had an odd relationship and she was not quite sure what to make of it. Vivian was the only person on board that dared make fun of Betty. She was also the only person that touched the Captain. The other sailors did not seem afraid of Betty, just to have a healthy respect for her and they maintained a little distance because of that respect. Vivian did not seem to be on the same page as the others in regards to the Captain. Kim wondered if it was because Vivian was the only woman on the ship, but she doubted that was it.

Their conversation was cut short as Will called for Kim, pointing out other rigging that she needed to check. Vivian shook her head, noticing that Will never had a shortage of things that he wanted the redhead to do. For a moment, she considered that he was trying to catch Kim up, to show that she was not as perfect as she seemed, but the blonde dismissed that thought. Will was more the type to just have a long list of chores to make sure a new crewmember always had something to do than for him to run someone around due to jealousy. Vivian returned to the Captain's side since her distraction was gone.

"You see mighty attached to the mermaid," Betty commented in a neutral tone.

Blue eyes sparkled with amusement and delight. "Jealous?"

Betty snorted. "What could that little girl do for you that I can't?" she countered.

"Have you seen how flexible she is? I don't think you want me to answer that," Vivian teased, smiling quite merrily.

The frown that cut across Betty's face was genuine, but Vivian only smiled more. The blonde then wrapped her arms around the Captain's slim waist. One hand worked its way into Betty's jerkin and played with the ruffles on Betty's shirt.

"You are jealous," Vivian realized. "Don't worry, my dear. No one could replace you. Besides, the question should be, what do you think a nimble young creature like that would want with an old woman like me?"

"A woman like you? Everything!" Betty declared, trying to save face and gain favor through compliments.

Vivian smiled. "That's sweet of you to say, but I know the truth. The mermaid isn't interested in me, Betty, and I'm not interested in her. I just want her to feel comfortable on our ship. She's the only woman here, aside from us…although, I'm not sure if I should count you amongst the fairer sex anymore." The smile transformed into a teasing smirk.

"You know that I'm all woman, Vivi. Now, how are we doing?" Betty inquired, turning the conversation to work to avoid any taunting from the navigator.

"We're doing fine. There's no reason why we shouldn't see a prize (1) today or tomorrow," Vivian answered.

"And land?"

"Two days. Civilization at last. Unfortunately, it's going to be the colonies."

"The Middleton colonies?" Betty guessed.

Vivian nodded. "There are worst places to be, I suppose."

"It depends on which island. Being in the Empire is just a pain most of the time. Either way, we're low on supplies and we need to get these bilge rats off this ship soon or they'll go mad," Betty pointed out.

"Yet another reason I've been staying close to the mermaid. I know you trust your crew and all, Betty, but it's been a while since they've been on land," Vivian commented.

"If they were wise, they'd bring their own bit of land along like I did," Betty remarked, chuckling a little.

Vivian lightly struck the Captain on the arm. "I'm just a bit of land to you, am I? I'll remember that tonight."

Betty tried not to appear affected by that, but she knew that she was going to pay for it later. Nothing that she could say would change that, so she turned her attention to her ship and crew. A feral grin crept onto her face as a speck in the distance caught her eye.

"Thar she blows," Betty muttered to herself and then she turned her attention to her helmsman. "Take us to port. Our bounty awaits."

As the ship shifted to its left, Will started barking more orders, keeping Kim flying through the sails. Betty cut in on the shouting and the crew scurried about the ship to prepare for their work. Kim watched, still little amazed that these salty sea dogs would obey any commands that the Captain doled out. She did not think that the last set of sailors that she had been in company with would have bothered to glance at this captain, unless it was to leer at her.

Shaking those thoughts away to avoid more painful memories, the petite redhead turned her attention back to her work. While checking her ropes, she watched as the Captain called for someone to raise the flag. Kim was expecting to see a Jolly Roger flying, but a flag from her home country came up. It barely took a second for it to dawn on her that it was a ploy. She could see a ship moving along in the distance and she knew they were headed for it. Flying the flag of a friendly nation instead of throwing up a Jolly Roger meant that they would be able to get close to the ship. (2)

"That makes more sense than the stories my brothers like to read about," Kim muttered into the breeze. In the stories, pirates always had their Jolly Rogers flying and would still manage to get up on ships in order to bombard them with cannon fire, board the ships, and have their way with everything within their grasp.

"Hey, Mermaid!" Betty hollered up to the younger woman.

Kim turned, knowing that she was stuck with the unfortunate nickname for the moment. The Captain motioned for Kim to come to her. The redhead leaped off the rigging and made her way to the one-eyed brunette. Betty pulled Kim off to the side, glancing over her shoulder to make sure the crew was working and not eavesdropping.

"Vivi tells me you're not much of a sailor," Betty said.

"No, ma'am. My first time on a boat was the one I jumped off of before you picked me up," Kim answered honestly.

"Well, Vivi also tells me you're a smart girl and you already know what kinda vessel the _Global Justice_ is," Betty continued.

Kim chimed in to show that she had been paying attention. "You're a pirate ship."

Betty smiled a bit. "You remembered, Mermaid. Good. Now, that vessel there in the distance that we're coming up on, I'm guessing you know what we're going to do when we catch it."

"I doubt you're sitting down for a friendly chat and a cup of tea," Kim pointed out.

The Captain laughed. "That we aren't, girl. That's our prize out there. Now, Vivi said this probably wouldn't be necessary, but I'm gonna go through it anyway, just in case. You wouldn't think about warning that ship about what's coming her way, would you?" As the question was posed, Betty's hand went to a pistol at her side.

Olive eyes glanced down at the gun. "I wouldn't think of it," she answered honestly. Right now, she preferred being on Betty's ship. While the sailors leered at her, they did not make any moves toward her. Some even ran if Vivian was around. So, for the moment, she knew that she was safer here than on another boat.

Betty's stance relaxed and her hand went to Kim's shoulder, like they were old friends. "Good answer. Next thing, when we board 'er, the boys prefer it when everyone's involved. All for one sort of thing."

"You want me to help you loot that boat?" Kim asked with a disgusted curl to her lip.

"Not boat, Mermaid. Ship. Ain't we learned you anything on here?" Betty countered with a laugh, slapping the redhead on the back a little. Kim gave her a slightly apologetic look as well as laughing just a little herself because of the way Betty posed the question. After a couple of seconds, the Captain's expression went back to serious. "So the question is, are you going to do it willingly or will I have to force you?" the brunette demanded to now.

Kim's brow wrinkled a bit, wondering what that meant. Oh, she had a good idea, but for some reason, she did not think that her idea matched with the type of woman that Betty was according to Vivian. Speaking with Vivian, Kim learned that the Captain had a deep sense of righteousness and justice, much deeper than her father and brother were rumored to have. Kim could not figure out how such a person could be the Captain of a pirate ship, though.

"Why do you do this?" Kim inquired in a puzzled tone, eyes searching the Captain's eye for an answer.

"My business is my own, Mermaid, just as yours is your own. Now, I asked you a simple question. Will you do this willingly or will I have to force you?" Betty asked again.

The competitor in Kim was itching to jump out and challenge the older woman, to show Betty that there was no "forcing" Kim Possible to do anything. But, her wiser side quickly stilled her instincts. Fighting the Captain on her ship would not get her anywhere, except another dunk in the ocean and while she enjoyed the sight of the teal waters, she had no desire to swim in them again.

"What would I have to do?" Kim asked in a caution tone, not committing herself yet.

"Simple. You don't die and you take whatever you can carry back onto the _Global Justice_. Think you can manage that?" Betty inquired. She figured putting it that way would not offend Kim's sensibilities. She suspected that Kim was a very proper young woman when it came to manners, even if her behavior was far from proper.

Kim nodded. "Sounds simple enough." She was all too aware that it could easily become something very complicated, though.

"Good, then take this." Betty reached into her belt and took out her pistol. She gave it to Kim and that was when the redhead knew it was now complicated.

"Uh…no, thanks. I don't do guns," the younger woman replied, pushing the gun back onto the Captain.

Betty arched an eyebrow. "You don't do guns? Then what do you do?" she asked curiously.

"I'm fine without anything," the redhead answered.

Betty scoffed. "You're fine without anything? Even when the bullets and the cutlasses start flying? Try again because I'm not letting you go without something in your belt," she stated soundly, clearly used to being in charge.

For a moment, Kim was silent. Betty reminded her of a lot of other women that she knew; women that she was told were odd because they had such strong personalities. She came from a long line of women like that and knew that she and Betty could end up locked on this issue forever. That did not sound too appealing right now.

"I can handle a sword," Kim answered. She felt like she had control over a sword much more than a gun.

"Can you now?" Betty sounded so skeptical that it got a frown out of "the mermaid."

Kim growled. "I'm one of the best fencers in the Empire," she declared with a serious pride in her voice.

Betty shrugged. "All right, but a fight is not a fencing match. Remember that. But, you'll get your sword. Make sure you use it."

Kim nodded, feeling that was not a threat, but a warning. Maybe it was bred out of concern, but she could not be sure of that one. She did not see why Betty would be concerned over her, unless it was because Vivian had befriended her. She did not give it much thought and did not have the time to anyway because they were approaching the other ship rapidly.

After being provided a cutlass, Kim was ordered on deck with the other men. The sailors openly took bets on how long "the mermaid" would last in battle. Snickers followed most bets. Kim scoffed it off and did not think anything of it until Vivian threw her hat in the pile.

"I'll bet my take along with the Captain's!" Vivian announced. The Captain gave her a sidelong glance, but nothing more than that.

"On what?" a crewman demanded with a laugh.

"Her survival, of course," Vivian replied as if she was boasting.

Mutters rose from the crowd. It seemed that no one was interested in deal, which Kim thought was odd. Before Vivian said anything, the whole crew seemed so sure that she was going to die before the fighting even started. But, now, they hesitated and she wondered if it was because the pot was too large or if they thought there was something to Vivian's wager.

"Better make a decision quickly, boyos. We're almost on the prize," Betty informed them.

The Captain speaking seemed to make the men ponder even harder. In the end, only a few took the bet and they seemed quite nervous about making it. Kim decided that she would ask Vivian about it later.

"You didn't just lose me my cut, did you, darlin'?" Betty inquired with a teasing drawl. Vivian was standing next to her, putting a belt with five pistols across her chest.

"Watch her work first and don't make fun of my 'darling,' my dear," Vivian replied, taunting smirk on her face. She bumped her hip against the brunette.

"Just watch yourself, Vivian. You know no prize is worth more than you to me," Betty said, leaning down and placing a gentle kiss to the blonde's cheek.

"I know, my love. You be careful too," Vivian countered.

Kim was not too far from the pair and noticed the exchange, but could not hear what the pair said to each other. She thought it was odd, but everything about the two women was strange to her. Taking a deep breath, she put them out of her head and tried to prepare mentally for what she was about to do. For a moment, she did consider just warning the other ship, but she had already given her word not to. Besides, she did not think it would do her any good because she could end up on a ship like the first one that she had been on. The one where she…

"No, don't even start to think about that right now," Kim commanded herself in a low voice. She knew that it would not do her any good to get herself in an emotion state right now. She needed to be on guard and keep her wits about her.

"Gunners at the ready!" Betty called, twisting a battle-axe in her hand. She felt like wielding an axe instead of her cutlass, which was resting at her side.

Crewmen positioned themselves at their cannons as their ship cruised closer to their unsuspecting prize. No one moved, waiting for the Captain's signal. Betty eyed their prize, smirking to herself as if she was just told a hilarious joke. Vivian seemed to be privy to it also as a smile lit up her face.

"Show our colors (3) and fire the guns!" Betty commanded as soon as they were in range to take down the brig close to them.

Kim did not even flinch as the cannons blared, launching projectiles at the unsuspecting brig. Glancing up, she saw the ship's true flag being hoisted up. The flag was a deep crimson sporting a one-eyed grinning skull, showing off long canine teeth, and surrounded by small, black hearts.

Olive eyes turned from the Jolly Roger to the other ship. She could see the crew of that vessel scrambling and screaming. The cannons sounded again and she could swear that she hear the balls going through the hull of the brig, even though they were too far away for that. More cannon fired and she watched as two cannon balls connected together by a thick chain ripped through the masts of the ship. Frozen awe stuck in Kim's eyes because she had never seen such quick and careful carnage to one area as precision cannon fire disabled the brig.

"Prepare to board!" Betty hollered.

The stalled ship returned fire, cannon balls and bullets ripping through the air. The crew of the _Global Justice_ was not deterred and did as the Captain ordered. Kim watched as the sailors grabbed ropes from the rigging and swung over to the other ship. A hand on her shoulder snapped Kim out of her daze. She turned to see concerned blue eyes gazing at her.

"Can you do this, Kim?" Vivian asked.

"Do I really have a choice? Wouldn't the crew want my hide if I just sat here and wouldn't you lose your bet?" Kim countered.

"Money isn't everything and the crew isn't as bad as they seem. This is our life, though, Kim. It might not be for you."

"There is nothing else for me. Besides, I have a debt to repay. Your ship is the one that saved my life," Kim reminded the blonde.

Vivian only smiled, all too aware that she could not stop the redhead if she tried. Kim reminded her too much of her beloved for her to believe that she could keep the young woman from any action. Now, she just had to wait and see if Kim was as much like Betty as she thought the redhead was.

Kim took a deep breath and moved to join the crew. A rope tight in her grip, she pushed off the railing without looking back at the _Global Justice_. Vivian chuckled a bit and shook her head. She was going to stay on board, just case someone from the prize tried to board the _Global Justice_. Blue eyes tracked the redhead when she landed on the prize, though, drifting occasionally to check on the Captain.

The redhead leaped into the fray, but did not move until someone attacked her. Fast legs dispatched the unfortunate sailor and Kim waited for the next person to step up. The reason she did not act first was because she was not too familiar with the whole _Global Justice_ crew and did not want to end up destroying one of them. But, soon, she was drawn into the whole brawl and just fighting her way through to stay alive.

Betty checked on Kim whenever she could, but mostly focused on splitting open her opponents with her axe. Making her way closer to the Captain of the brig, she reached for her pistol. Pulling back the hammer, she smirked as she pressed the barrel against the back of his head.

"Long time no see, Berman," Betty commented, speaking over the din of the battle.

The captain spun around, his three-cornered hat flying off as it knocked against her pistol barrel. Her gun moved to the middle of his forehead, pressing some of his short red hair against his skin. A cruel smirk tugged at her lips.

"Betty," the captain gasped.

"You act so surprised, Berman. You should know by now that I'm Betty Blackheart," the one-eyed woman informed him.

"Your father didn't want to believe the rumors were true."

"My father?" Betty scoffed. "I don't have a father anymore. I'm going to let you keep your life just so you can tell that bald bastard it is me taking his ships. I just want my share. The share my brother didn't even deserve but got just because he was born with that dangly bit between his legs."

True to her word, Betty let Captain Berman live. His ship was stripped of anything valuable, including clothing from the crew and pieces of wood that Betty would use to repair her own ship from the gun fire it took. Just as quickly as it appeared, the _Global Justice_ was out of sight for the other brig. Betty chuckled a bit to herself as she took in the pile of booty that they had acquired and then her eye went over to the little redhead who was still with them.

"Vivi, do you have to be right all the time?" Betty asked curiously, trying to sound annoyed, but she could not pull it off right then.

Vivian threw her arms around her beloved, embracing her around the waist. "It is a very bad habit of mine, but it was a bad habit that made us a lot of money this time," she remarked.

Betty could only laugh aloud. She guessed that having the "mermaid" around would not be too troublesome. In fact, the redhead seemed interesting. She was going to have to investigate why a capable woman like Kim was floating in the middle of the ocean and then why a proper young lady like Kim fought like a vengeful demon. Either way, Kim was a grand addition to the crew.

* * *

Next time: Kim makes an awful discovery that forces her to stay a pirate.

1: A "prize" is any ship that pirates captured, whether they kept the ship or just the items on board.

2: Pirates would run the flags of friendly countries when they came across ships that they were going to take. It allowed them to get close enough to attack.

3: "Show the colors" basically pirate talk that means to hoist the ship's true flag, their Jolly Roger.


	4. Wanted

I don't own these characters; Disney does.

4: Wanted

Kim sat on the gunwale(1) of the _Global Justice_, staring at the bright, full moon. The smell of salt filled her nose, reminding her brain of a time when that smell surrounded her, suffocated her. She clutched onto that memory, not wanting to go further back then that. It was best to just think about how she almost died than anything else before she found herself on _Global Justice_.

"Thinking of returning to the sea, Mermaid?" Betty inquired as she marched over to the petite deckhand. The question came because olive eyes were focused on the dark ocean around them, not even blinking.

"Wouldn't it be better than my forced conscription here?" Kim countered, not bothering to turn around. Her voice was normal, no bitterness or anger aimed toward the pirate.

Betty arched an eyebrow as she leaned against the wood of the railing. "Oh? Is it so bad here?" she asked, looking out to sea herself. She inhaled the smell, pleasant and relaxing to her, before sighing softly to herself.

"Out of the two ships I've been on, this one is definitely the best," the redhead admitted in a low voice.

The one-eyed woman nodded slightly. "I get the feeling that's not a compliment. This life isn't so bad. Coming and going as you please, doing what you want, not having to worry about being disrespected just because you're a woman."

Kim glanced at the brunette. "Is that what happened to you? You were disrespected for being a woman?"

"My life is a bit more complicated than that. Let's just say my father and I parted on very hostile terms." _And distance has only increased the hostility_, Betty added mentally.

"Is that why you rob from his ships?" Kim asked, knowing the prize that the crew had taken earlier was from the Director fleet of merchant ships.

Betty had to glance at the redhead for a moment. She was impressed with Kim's conclusions about the prize that they just took. It would seem that Kim was more than just an agile, fighting machine.

"While it is personal, I take whatever prize I can, not just my father's ships. Or should I say my brother's ships as my father saw fit to hand the business over to him. I'm merely taking my share before my brother completely ruins the company, which he will do. Once upon a time we rivaled Hench's company for shipping, but now we barely compete with Martin Smarty and his cost-cutting company that uses slave labor," Betty complained, shaking her head in disbelief. She doubted her brother's pathetic company would last another three years with the way he was running it, thus ruining their father's lifelong work. In her opinion, it would serve them both right when the company finally went over.

"I believe Hench is in the slave business as well," Kim pointed out, just to be a know-it-all. A fairly bad habit of hers that popped up every now and then.

"I know. But, that's neither here nor there. The whole point is that my father entrusted the business to my brother instead of me, even though I'm clearly the more intelligent sibling. The reason was because I was a woman. Horrible reason to pass someone up for an important position if you ask me. Now, what's your story, Mermaid? Why were you floating around in the middle of the ocean? Vivi said you wouldn't even tell her," Betty stated.

"If I wouldn't tell her, why should I tell you?" Kim asked with a smart smirk on her face.

The Captain chuckled a bit, finding the younger woman to be quite feisty. It was not a bad thing in her opinion; she dealt with feisty all day. "You shouldn't. My crew has secrets. Some of them I know, others I don't. Some I don't care to know. I just find it a curious thing that a woman like you, who couldn't be older than twenty, fights like a woman whose been in hundreds of battles and is skilled enough to not kill a single man she fought," she replied.

"Killing isn't something I'm interested in, Captain," the redhead stated blandly.

Betty nodded. "In this life, it happens. Everything comes at a price. You should just be sure that you're willing to trade what you have for what you want."

"Pretty deep thoughts for a pirate captain," Kim noted.

"I wasn't always a pirate. I didn't always have blood on my hands either, but the price was more than worth it. Basically, I gambled with Fate and Fate lost, as it always does with me."

Kim made a curious noise. "Aren't you afraid that one day Fate's going to win?"

Betty shrugged. "Fate gets us all in the end. Are you afraid of that?" she countered. Kim did not strike her as a person who scared easy.

The redhead shook her head. "I think Fate's taken most of what it can from me. I think I gambled with it a little too much."

"If you're still alive, Fate hasn't won yet. You still have coins to play then. Speaking of coins, did you get your share of the prize?" the Captain asked.

"Yes. It was actually more money than I've had in my life," Kim answered. She could use that money to get home, she figured. She just needed to wait for them to dock at a port. She supposed it was almost lucky for her to get enough money to make her way home so quickly and thanks to the pirates.

"It's one of the good parts about being a pirate. Don't squander it like the lads. You'd think rum and women would lose their luster one day with them," Betty remarked, chuckling a bit. "Then again…" She trailed off, eye drifting behind her. "I'm going to call it a night, Mermaid. You should too. We'll be on land by tomorrow afternoon according to Vivi."

Kim only nodded and Betty was gone as quickly and quietly as she appeared. Kim glanced down at her coin pouch, which was holding her cut of the prize. Compared to the others, her cut seemed like nothing, but compared to honest work, she knew that she was pretty wealthy. The money did nothing to quiet the memories trying to haunt her, though. Her eyes went back out to the dark sea and the bright moon.

"I was supposed to see this with Josh, but I gambled with Fate and Fate won big," Kim spat in anger. She was not even sure what she thought she gambled. Maybe she had tempted those sailors on the other ship, maybe she should not have requested to accompany Josh to the colonies, or maybe she should have just been a little more humble like other women rather than insisting that she could always take care of herself. Not sure of what the stakes were, she knew that she had lost Josh, and any hope for sleep, in the pot. _The price was too high_, she thought. The price was way too high, but she had already paid.

When the sun came up and the Captain came out to the deck, she was surprised to see Kim in the same space from the night before. Betty did not say anything, figuring the young woman needed to gather her thoughts and come to her own understanding of her new life. Betty could comprehend that well enough. Kim did not move until Will gave her a task, cleaning the deck. She trotted off to do the chore and Vivian, lacking anything better to do, watched her work for a while.

"So, what's the first thing you're going to do when we get ashore?" Betty asked her blonde companion.

"Suggest we take a new vote for captain," Vivian answered with a teasing smile.

"And where is this captain's ship?" Betty inquired with a smirk.

Vivian put her finger to her chin. "I suppose we'll just have to steal the _Global Justice_ at night."

"Vivi, sweetheart, you know I love you deeply and dearly," Betty said before pulling the blonde close to her and holding Vivian firmly against her own body. She leaned down, putting her lips to her companion's ear. "But, if you ever even thought to take my ship, I would do this lovely body serious insult that would make your heartless mother weep with pity and my blade cry out," she whispered, running her hand up and down Vivian's torso.

Vivian silently gasped while Betty pressed her open hand to Vivian's stomach. The blonde turned and blue eyes saw the truth of the matter in the hard onyx eye staring back at her. Suddenly, Vivian let out a hearty laugh; her whole face lit up.

"I know you would, love," Vivian declared, smiling as if that was some big joke.

"I know you do," Betty replied and then she turned her attention out to the ocean in front of them. "Land ho!" she called out.

The declaration got the crew's attention and all eyes went out to sea, including a pair of curious olive eyes. In the distance, they could see a speck and they knew it was land. Faces lit up like sparked candles and excited whispers went through the crew like the waves at sea.

"To answer your question, the first thing I plan to do when I get ashore is have a long, hot bath," Vivian replied, speaking to the Captain.

Betty nodded. "Sounds good. Am I included in that idea?"

Vivian shook her head. "Why would I want to bathe with a salty, cranky seadog that just threatened my life?"

"Because I could just as easily leave you at this port."

"And you could just as easily get lost at sea without me."

A half-smirk was Betty's only response. After that, she turned her attention to the crew, calling out orders to make sure they were ready for the docking process. From the gleam in their eyes, she guessed that they were ready for a sort of docking process, but she did not dwell on that. What those idiots did with their money was their own affair. Glancing over at Vivian and exhaling slowly, she had much more important things on her mind.

The ship could not get docked fast enough and despite grumbles about landing in the Middleton colonies, the men took off quicker than fish fleeing sharks as soon as they could get the planks down. As fast as the sailors were disembarking, it almost looked like they were abandoning ship. Betty hid her face in her hand and shook her head at their foolishness.

"They're like sea-apes, off to waste their shares already," Vivian remarked with a chuckle.

"What they do with their crowns and pieces of eight have no bearing on what I'm going to do with mine," Betty commented, throwing her arm around the blonde.

"Or mine. You do know you're coming shopping with me, right, my dear heart?" Vivian bumped the Captain with her hip.

"Oh, god!" Betty groaned and quickly searched for an escape. Her eye easily spotted her salvation. "Why don't you take the mermaid instead?" she suggested with a big smile.

Vivian cast her eyes out to Kim, who was patiently waiting for the ship to actually dock completely. The blonde shrugged and figured that she would take her beloved up on that offer. It seemed like Kim could use a friend. She suspected that Kim would enjoy shopping a little more than Betty would. Besides, it was no fun being around Betty when she was honestly annoyed, which she would be if shopping took more than five minutes.

"Dearest, you just wasted the one good idea you will ever have in life," Vivian teased, kissing the Captain's tanned cheek.

Betty rolled her eye, but she was quite happy to have dodged that bullet. Vivian bounced over to Kim, smiling brightly. The younger woman felt warmed by the expression despite the chill that overcame her as she continued to think about how she was supposed to experience the colonies with Josh.

"Kim, I don't suppose you'd like to come shopping with me, would you? Middleton has some of the greatest shops in all of the Empire," Vivian declared.

"I've heard about them, but I've never seen them," Kim said.

"Oh, then you must come with me! It is a brilliant experience. One much better shared with someone who can appreciate these sorts of things rather than a grouchy old Captain who abandoned her femininity years ago," Vivian quipped, still smiling.

Kim chuckled a bit. "And here it is I thought you could talk her into anything."

"Oh, don't doubt that I can," Vivian replied, a boastful gleam lighting up her eyes. "But, sometimes you should use your powers for good instead of evil. Taking her shopping is like kicking a puppy. She'll come, but she will whimper and whine the whole time."

The redhead laughed again. She supposed that she could take in the shops. It would give her something to do before she made her way back to the docks and found passage home. She felt it would be best for her to wait a little while to do so, just in case all of Global Justice's crew had not jumped ship when the vessel docked. The last thing she wanted was to be chased by pirates because she was able to get away from them.

"I'd love to go shopping with you," Kim answered.

"That's great!" Vivian clapped, glad for a shopping companion.

The two women went off together as soon as it was safe to step off of the ship. Vivian cast a long glance back at Betty, but did not offer an invite of any kind to the brunette. The smell of the ocean and the sound of the gulls followed them as they put distance between themselves and the ship. Crowds of people rapidly appeared, surprising Kim. She had always pictured the colonies small with low populations.

"You look a bit shocked," Vivian noted, taking in her companion's wide-eyed expression.

"It's almost like being in the Capitol," Kim muttered.

"It is growing rapidly, but it would need to do a lot of work to catch the Capitol. It's a quaint little city with a lot of seedy, shadowy places, so if I were you, I'd stick close to me as I know how to avoid those places," the blonde boasted.

"I think I would like that," Kim replied. Usually, she would be all for a challenge and would not care about how bad any part of town was, but she felt drained after what happened with Josh. If only she had not taunted those sailors, she thought. _Josh would still be here… _

Vivian pulled Kim off before she could all those thoughts to consume her. Vivian cut through the thin crowd with purpose, mind locked onto a target and it was clear that nothing was going to get in her way. Kim easily kept up, even after she managed to retract her hand from Vivian's friendly grip. Kim remained in step with the blonde until something caught her eye.

Olive eyes opened wide while Kim's hand reached out, snatching a piece of paper from the wall. She stared down at the paper in disbelief, frozen on the spot. Her eyes were wide and her mouth hung open as if her jaw was broken. Her companion was barely a yard away when she noticed that Kim was no longer at her side. Marching back over to the redhead, Vivian was about to say something until she took in the younger woman's stunned expression. She turned to see what Kim was staring at. Vivian's eyes then went as wide as Kim's.

Staring at them both with ink eyes was a wanted poster of Kim Possible with a very good likeness of her in a sketch. According to the poster, she was wanted for murder and assault, but presumed dead. There was a reward of 100 pieces of eight for her capture or her corpse.

"Murder and assault, eh?" Vivian managed to mutter.

"I didn't…I didn't kill him…" Kim replied, voice cracking as tears leaked out of the corners of her eyes. Her body trembled from fury, sorrow, and a mixture of other emotions that she could not identify.

Vivian glanced at her companion, noticing how the girl was shaking. She threw her arm around Kim's shoulders, hoping to keep her together. She then ushered Kim away from the poster, not wanting to draw any attention to them for lingering too long. The younger woman quietly sobbed, burying her face in Vivian's shoulder to mask her tears. Her hand was clamped firmly over her mouth to suppress any sounds of anguish.

"It'll be okay, Kim. It'll be okay," Vivian whispered as she led the distressed woman some place private.

Kim did not bother to look where they were going, just moving as Vivian guided her. She was surprised when Vivian let her go and gently pushed her, forcing her to sit on a very comfortable bed. The softness shocked her and she composed herself enough to take in her surroundings. She was in a lavish room with a crystal chandler, rich paintings on the wall, exquisitely crafted furniture, large fireplace, and a high ceiling. Curtained off double-doors stared at her from across the room.

"Where are we…?" Kim wondered aloud, wiping her eyes to remove any evidence of her crying.

"This is my suite. Well, mine's and Betty's, of course," Vivian answered with a soft smile. "This is where we stay whenever we're in Middleton. They act like we rent the room year round, so it's always empty when we come through this way. It's expensive to do, but quite worth it."

"I would think so…"

"Yes, I've also taken the liberty of ordering you some food and drink. I think it'll do you well. Perhaps make it easier to talk?" Vivian said sweetly, making sure it was understood that Kim did not really have to say anything if she so chose to.

Kim did not respond to that. She was not sure if she did want to speak or if she did not. Her mouth decided for her once their food arrived. The hot tea warmed her belly and settled her nerves. Her lips started moving on their own after that.

"I can't go home now, can I? I'm sure they're just waiting for me back home. I'd be arrested as soon as I went there. I know they're waiting for me to go back home. It's the first place I'd go and it's the only place I can go," Kim muttered, shaking her head. All she wanted to do was be with her family again and now she could not even do that because she was wanted!

"Not the only place," Vivian assured her before taking a sip of her own tea. One of the things she liked best about being on land was the variety of beverages. There was only so much rum she could stomach on the ship.

"I didn't kill Josh. I loved him so much. We were supposed to be here together, but those filthy curs on Hench's ship took him from me and then lied about it. I was covered in his blood and we were supposedly the only ones with access to the room…" Kim paused to scoff loudly and roll her eyes. "…The Captain believed that I did. Wouldn't believe his crewmen could do something so horrible. Wouldn't believe what his crewmen wanted from me and apparently that they would kill to get it…"

Vivian nodded, guessing what the crewmen wanted. "So, they killed your lover in revenge?" she asked.

Kim shook her head. "Not just revenge. If I was chained down…"

Vivian nodded again, now remembering how powerful the petite redhead could be. "Ah, so the assault part was right," she figured.

"The assault was the least I could do for Josh…" Kim's lip began to tremble again and her sobbing started immediately afterward. Vivian rushed to her side and held her, letting her cry on her shoulder again.

"It'll be all right," Vivian whispered, patting Kim on the back like one would do for a baby.

"I can't even go home now! Why didn't they just assume was I was dead? I should be dead! As dead as Josh…" Kim bawled. "I jumped over…I wouldn't let them take me. I jumped overboard and the water was like a million knives cutting me. I should've just died…"

"No, you lived for a reason. We found you for a reason. You might not be able to return to your home, but you have a home on the _Global Justice_. We stick together," Vivian promised.

Kim did not express any displeasure at the idea of staying with the band of pirates, which Vivian took as a good thing. Of course, she ignored the fact that Kim had not really responded at all. The redhead eventually cried herself to sleep. Vivian held onto her even then, silently letting her know that she was not alone in the world.

"Vivi?" Betty called as she stumbled into the room.

"Shh!" the blonde replied as the Captain stepped into view.

Betty halted dead in her tracks and her good eye blinked in shock as she took the scene in. "Vivi, what's going on?" she inquired in a tight tone, not enjoying that her lover was snuggled up close to another, younger woman. Well, that killed the small buzz she had from a few rounds of drinking.

"I think we just got a new, permanent member of the _Global Justice_," Vivian replied.

"I thought she was already that, so why don't you explain this one to me," Betty requested. "And we're not adopting, so you're going to have to get the baby her own room."

Vivian pouted. "But, she would be the perfect daughter!" she jokingly whined. "For right now, let's leave her be and I'll explain it all."

Betty nodded and took a seat next to Vivian. The blonde kept her arms wrapped around Kim as she turned her attention to Betty. She then went to explain the situation as best she could to the Captain. By the end of it, all Betty could do was sigh.

"So, can we keep her?" Vivian remarked, smiling broadly. Betty groaned and fell back against the bed. To Vivian, that was just as good as any "yes" response.

* * *

Next time: Kim starts to get the hang of being a pirate.

1: gunwale—the upper edge of the side of a ship.


	5. Thar she blows

I don't own these characters; Disney does.

5: Thar she blows

Shore leave was way too short for the crew of the Global Justice, who had to pile aboard in the middle of the night after rumors got around that Betty Blackheart had pulled into port. Suddenly there were all sorts of officials hunting for the Hound of Sea and her crew. Of course, they would not find her anywhere near there now.

"Do you always have to steal away at midnight like that?" Kim asked Vivian as the ship drifted out to sea.

"Only certain places, but definitely there once it gets around that Betty and her seadogs are around. We hit a lot of ships from the Empire, so they want her head on a platter," Vivian explained.

"More gambling with Fate," Kim muttered.

Vivian blinked in surprise, knowing one of Betty's favorite phrases was that she gambled with Fate. Then a gentle smile spread across her face. It did not seem like she was the only one thinking about adopting the "mermaid."

"Don't worry. Betty will tell you that every time she gambles with Fate, she wins. I'm sure Fate owes her big by now," Vivian remarked, chuckling a little.

"How long before Fate wants to collect, though?" Kim wondered aloud.

"I'm hoping a good, long time," Vivian replied. She had plans for Betty for years to come, after all.

Before the conversation could get any deeper, Will shouted orders to Kim about the sails. The redhead scurried off, climbing up the ratlines(1) to check on them and the rigging. Vivian watched the younger woman go, believing that Kim would fit in perfectly on the Global Justice, especially with the way she moved on the ropes. The blonde then walked away, knowing that she had her own work to do.

"Sweetheart, are we looking for another place to port or another prize?" Vivian asked as she climbed the steps to the poop deck, where Betty stood a few feet behind the helmsman(2).

"I think another port would be best. The lads still have money to burn and I'm not done ravaging you yet," Betty remarked with a lewd smirk.

Vivian groaned, feigning disgust. "It's like you turn into a filthy old man as soon as we get to sea…Of course, the flip side is that when we get on land you act like a filthy young man," she quipped.

"Vivi, I just need a port. Why the hell does it always have to come with a gaggle of smart remarks?" Betty inquired.

"One, because you started it, as you usually do. And two, because it's the price you pay for being with me. I guess that's a deal Fate won out on," the blonde replied with a happy smile.

The brunette captain frowned, but guessed that was true. Fate definitely got the better of her on this deal. Her consistent and intimate connection with Vivian might be why she beat Fate in everything else. Fate definitely had her in a strangle hold in the relationship area.

"So, will you be charting a course for safer waters or will you just being standing here, aggravating the hell out of me the whole night?" Betty asked with an arched eyebrow.

"I don't see why it has to be a choice, my dear," Vivian replied, honestly puzzled and putting a finger to her chin in thought. "I can do both at the same time with little problem."

Betty frowned again, knowing that to be true. Deciding this was a lost battle (as most were when it came to Vivian), Betty turned her attention to giving out orders to hasten their departure. Vivian chuckled a bit, but went to work on charting a course for a more friendly port. It was easy enough for her to do.

After a few days of sailing, the Global Justice pulled into less hostile waters. Of course, the scenery was not as rich and lovely as the Middleton colonies, but they were not likely to be arrested just from walking the street. Betty and Vivian doubted the crew even cared about the scenery at that point. They just needed some place to take their hard-earned shares from them.

"What's this place?" Kim wondered aloud as she watched the town they approached. It looked like it was being held together by spit and bird droppings. It smelled that way too, actually rivaling the scent of the ocean…and she was still on the ocean!

"A little known island hangout called Lair," Vivian answered, stepping up next to the redhead.

"Lair?" Kim echoed in a puzzled tone with a matching look in her eyes. She had never heard of the place. It sounded like a weird name for an island too.

"A tiny island for outlaws and rogues to gather and piss each other off rather than endanger innocents," Betty explained, walking over too in order to take in the view. She sighed, wishing that they could have stayed in Middleton.

"It might be a good idea for you to stick close to us since this is your first time here. It's usually a little crazy," Vivian told the younger woman.

"A little crazy?" Betty echoed in a skeptical tone and let out a snort. "That's like saying the Imperial Navy is a little regimental. Kid, stick close or you might find that little restraint you have in not killing people tested about five minutes into this trip."

Kim nodded to show that she understood, but silently she admitted to being intrigued. She had never heard of such a place and would like to see if it was as bad as the Captain made it sound. She needed to see it with her own eyes…and maybe even on her own. She did not need a babysitter. She was Kim Possible, after all.

"All right, lads, go blow your prize as you planned on before!" Betty announced to the crew, who cheered that order. An onyx eye rolled.

The sailors disembarked like hyper monkeys. It was even worse than when they docked at Middleton, Kim noted. Vivian laughed while Betty had the decency to look embarrassed by the pirates' lack of self-control. But, then again, Betty appeared a bit eager to get off of the vessel too, inching away from Vivian and hoping that she did not draw attention to herself. A hand on her jerkin told her that she was not going to make a smooth getaway.

"No, no, love. You're not going to get into any drinking contests just yet. You have to escort two ladies to their hotel, after all," Vivian scolded the Captain.

"What? You can make it to the hotel just fine. No one's going to mess with you," Betty replied.

"Didn't you just finish telling Kim to stick close to you?" Vivian pointed out.

Betty turned her attention to the younger woman. "Want to come watch me drink a few pigheaded pirates under the table?" she proposed.

"Uh…" Kim hesitated because that did not sound like something she would like to see, but did involve her taking in the local color.

"No! She wants you to escort us to the hotel and not get pissy drunk if you know what's good for you," Vivian stated with something of a growl.

"Could you be anymore of a nagging wife?" Betty inquired, shoulders slumping in defeat.

"Oh, you haven't seen nagging yet and I don't think you want to," Vivian snapped with a fire in her eyes that warned things could certainly get worse.

Betty scratched her head and sighed. "Ah, you got me there." She damn sure did not want to see the blonde truly annoyed and bitchy. So, apparently, she was escorting the two ladies to their rooms and possibly not drinking at all that day. Hopefully, Vivian would make it up to her, she silently prayed.

Vivian smirked, the expression bordering on evil. "I knew you'd see it my way, love."

Kim did not say anything, just watching the pair. There was something off about their relationship, the redhead thought. She just could not figure out what it was yet. She just _knew_ it could not be what it seemed like it was because that was pretty much impossible. Things like that did not happen, as far as she knew.

The adventurous redhead was silent as she disembarked from the ship with the older women. As soon as she stepped on the dock, Kim got an understanding of the type of place they were in. In the shadows of other ships, she could make out figures beating the crap out of someone. She resisted the urge to go run and help as Betty and Vivian walked right by the scene as if it was the norm. By the time they got to the end of the dock, Kim assumed that a fight was quite normal since she saw three more and no one batted an eye at them.

"Hey, girl," a filthy man said, reaching out for Kim. His hand was halted when Betty grabbed his wrist.

"Not a good idea, unless you don't like having all your teeth," Betty informed him, speaking in a hard tone.

"Betty Blackheart…?" he bristled when he met her gaze.

"Well, your eyes obviously work. I don't know if I'll be able to say the same about your hand in a few seconds," Betty commented with a growl, shoving him back. "Keep your hands off my crew, filthy cur."

"You have such a way with words, sweetheart," Vivian remarked.

"Not now, Vivi," the Captain huffed.

The blonde giggled a bit, but did not say anything further. The trio continued on their walk and Kim got to see that the town was a dirty as it looked like from a distance. The putrid scent of the place was almost vomit-inducing. She had never seen so much garbage in one place or so many people ignore the trash's existence. Everyone around seemed more interested in gambling, fighting, drinking, and smoking than taking note of the junk in the town. Olive eyes soaked up the grimy, rundown landscape while Kim's feet made sure to keep up with her two guides. It was not until they passed by a narrow alley that Kim halted in her tracks.

"Hey, are they—" Kim started to ask.

"Come along, dear!" Vivian swiftly yanked the younger woman away from the alley.

"Hey, were they…?" Kim asked.

"Probably," Betty answered, even though she had not bothered to stop to see what they were doing in the alley. Whatever Kim saw that shocked her enough to stop was more than likely going on because that was just how the port town was.

"But, there were three of them! And right in the street!" Kim gasped. "What if that woman needed help?"

"Trust me, she didn't," Betty replied.

"But—" the redhead tried to protest again, but the Captain cut her off.

"Look, Mermaid, first off damn near everything you see or hear or possibly even smell in this town is a crime. No one needs help, but everyone is trouble. You don't stop to help because you're always helping a bad guy. You always assume the worst when you're here, okay?" Betty stated soundly.

"Assume the worst?" Kim echoed, sounding slightly confused.

"For instance, back there. Now, an easy assumption would to think that woman was a prostitute and those two guys paid for her. Taking it a little further would be to assume, one of those parties is going to rob the other after their business transaction is complete. The worst is to figure two out of those three are going to be killed by the other by the end of things and you don't want any part of that," Betty explained.

"Killed?" Kim was well aware that she was starting to resemble a parrot. She just hoped that no one suggested giving her a cracker.

"Yeah, killed, and if you want to jump into something that's none of your business, it's very likely you'll be killed too. I don't care how well you fight in hand-to-hand combat, Mermaid. All someone needs to do is get a lucky shot at you and it's lights out. I don't think you want to give your life for some criminal who might have slaughtered hundreds too, so just mind your own business for now," Betty stated, not sounding harsh or scolding, but serious enough for the redhead to take stock in what she said.

Kim nodded to show that she understood, even though she really did not. She decided to take heed in Betty's words, though. The Captain knew much more about this place and Vivian had not contradicted anything that was said either. So, she figured it would be best to see what the place was all about before she started leaping in to help anyone.

The walk to the hotel took too long in Kim's opinion, mostly because the smell of the whole town was unbearable and she was sure that they had witnessed every crime possible on the way there, including—but, she could not be sure since it was a good distance away—a murder. Betty and Vivian kept going like everything was fine, so Kim mimicked their attitudes.

"The price they want for a decent hotel room is robbery!" Vivian complained with a huff as she kicked the door open to their room for the next few days.

"Uh…Vivi, the Lair," Betty pointed out. She would not be surprised if they literally wanted her arm and leg to stay in a room that did not smell like piss and throw-up, and did not have blood in it.

"Okay, well, I prefer my robbery to involve guns!" Vivian continued on.

"Would you like me to rob them on our way out?" Betty proposed with a small smile, showing that she would do it.

"If the sheets aren't clean, yes," the blonde answered quite seriously as she turned her attention to the bed. She then began a thorough examination of the covers on the adequate mattress.

"Don't just loiter in the hallway, Mermaid. Come on in," Betty called to the redhead, who was peering into the room from the outside.

Kim took a step into the room and looked around. "Are we really going to stay in here?" she asked. Apparently, she was being so closely baby-sat by the older women that Vivian insisted she share the room with them. This upset the Captain as she was sure that she would not get any action from Vivian while they had company.

"I know it's not as nice as the last hotel," Betty started.

"That's the understatement of the century!" Vivian chimed in, causing the Captain to scoff and roll her eye.

"But, it's the best they have here on Lair," the brunette stated and then she turned her attention to the youngest among them. "You know, if we leave Vivian alone for about an hour, she'll make this place look almost like someone didn't die in here."

"Betty…" Vivian said in a warning growl.

"So, let's do that," Betty said, throwing her arm around Kim and marching out of the room as quickly as possible. She slammed the door behind them.

"BETTY!" Vivian hollered. The Captain wisely kept it moving as fast as she could.

"Uh…is it safe to leave Vivian there by herself?" Kim asked curiously, still allowing herself to be led by the brunette.

"Perfectly fine. Everyone knows Vivi's part of my crew and very dear to me. If someone even thought about hurting her, I'd know about it seconds later and I'd be killing that person minutes later," Betty explained quite calmly. "Besides, I could see it in your eyes that you're itching to find out what this place is really about. Vivi doesn't like the place much, so I'll show you around and we won't have to listen to her awful whining the whole time."

Kim nodded, figuring that made some sense. They marched outside the hotel into the awful smelling streets. Kim coughed and covered her nose. Betty chuckled.

"The stench takes some getting used to, but once you get some rum, brandy, or beer in your system, you probably won't care about the smell," Betty remarked with an amused smile and laugh.

"I don't drink," Kim replied.

"Then you can watch me drink and I'll show you how it's done," Betty declared with another laugh.

The redhead did not argue and allowed herself to be led around by the older woman. Olive eyes soaked up all of the deviant behavior going on right in the open and in broad daylight. She had never seen such spectacles and did not know how to react, so she did not react. Betty thought the non-reaction was best; to her, it showed a sign that Kim was going to fit in much better than the redhead thought.

"This is my favorite tavern," Betty explained as she yanked the younger woman into a dive that was on one of the island's main streets. Because of its location, there was almost as much going on outside the spot as there was inside. Almost.

Before they even got all the way in, both women had to duck a flying barrel. They turned to watch it crash against the wall before turning into the direction it came from. A growl tore out of Betty's throat.

"Who the hell threw that?" the female captain demanded in a harsh tone. Movement in the busy bar stilled and all eyes turned to her.

"Betty…" Her name was trembled and laced with fear.

"Yeah, now who the hell threw that? Almost took my goddamned head off along with my newest crew member!" Betty declared, making a show of putting an arm around Kim. It was a message to let everyone know that if they messed with Kim, there would be hell to pay. Eyes went from the furious Betty to the quiet Kim.

"Damn, Betty, you always get the good looking crewmembers!"

"Yeah, you better not mess with her. I won't even need to beat your asses for it. She'll handle that all her own!" Betty declared.

Kim was willing to bet that was a challenge from her captain. She would just have to wait to see if anyone would accept it. The wait was not long, actually.

Betty easily dismissed the barrel almost knocking them out after she found out who did it. She did force the man to buy her a drink. She dragged Kim over to a spot against the wall and started conversing with other rogues of the sea, drinking and laughing with them. Kim observed everything, even though Betty tried to get her into the conversation a number of times by talking about the latest prize the Global Justice took.

"Hey there, pretty girl," a man said, speaking into Kim's ear. She could feel his presence behind her, but she did not turn around. "Why don't you ditch the one-eyed freak and come sail with a real man?"

"You've got a lot of nerves making that offer when my captain is only twenty feet away," Kim commented. Betty was up, away from the table now and chatting with a few barmaids.

He scoffed. "That big bitch doesn't scare me. You know that's why they call her the Hound of the Sea, right? Because she's just a bitch," he proclaimed and laughed as if he thought that was hilarious.

Kim glanced over her shoulder, just to take in the sight of the man trying to entice her. He was a large fellow with a ragged mustache and beard. His eyes were beady and leering at her in a most foul manner. She then recalled that Betty said everyone was a criminal in the town and that she should assume the worst. From the look in her eyes, she felt like Betty was right about assuming the worst.

"Look. I'm fine where I am," Kim informed him, waving him off to dismiss him.

"I don't think you are," he growled, leaning down and grabbing her arm.

"I think I am," she declared. "And it would be wise of you to release my arm."

"Not only does that bitch find the prettiest wenches, but the ones that need to be broken too. Don't worry, little girl. I'll break you just fine," he proclaimed, squeezing her arm.

The glint in his eyes as he pulled her to his body triggered memories in her that she would have preferred to forget. Her body acted without her brain, but she was glad for her reflexes. Her foot whipped across his face as she spun out of his grip. His head snapped to the side as a loud crack echoed over the din of the bar. Pure fire burned in his eyes as a crimson river of blood poured down his nose and out of his lip.

"You've done it now, Mermaid," Betty chuckled.

"It's his fault. He should learn to take 'no' for an answer," Kim replied.

"I think you're going to have to beat that lesson into him," Betty commented as the ape-like man came in for a rematch.

The redhead turned her attention back to him and quickly showed him why Betty had no problem with letting her fight this battle on her own. The one-eyed woman did not even bother stepping in when a few other men joined the battle, fighting against Kim. It was not until half the bar got involved that Betty made a move. It would seem that the men did not like seeing a fellow man getting his ass kicked by a small, redheaded girl.

* * *

Loud laughter caused Vivian to turn her attention to the door. She had a feeling that noise was her beloved and their little adoptee. She was proven right when the two fighters burst into the room, leaning on each other and laughing as if they had been told the greatest joke in the world. Vivian smiled for a moment, happy that they were getting long, and then she noticed their appearances.

"Fighting already, Betty? And you got the mermaid into the act!" Vivian huffed, rushing over to the petite redhead. "Kim, this brute didn't get you hurt, did she?" the blonde inquired, inspecting Kim to make sure she was all right.

Betty scoffed and rolled her eye. "It's not my fault! The kid is the one taking on entire bars while I'm just trying to have a drink," she remarked, smiling up a storm, letting Vivian know she was not as innocent as she claimed.

"Kim, just because you're hanging out with this brute doesn't mean you have to mimic her actions. You don't want to lose all touches of femininity like her, do you?" Vivian asked, obviously teasing, but also obviously concerned.

Betty snorted and scoffed again. "Oh, yeah, just blame me for the whole when it was this little imp starting everything," she commented, rubbing the top of Kim's head. Raw pride shone in her obsidian eye.

"Well, let me get you two cleaned up. No more finding trouble today, though," Vivian said and she had a feeling this was going to be her first of many times using those words. Oddly enough, she did not mind. She did hope that Kim and Betty found that they had other things in common, though. After all, she did not want to spend all of her time on land taking care of their wounds. She wanted to have some fun too.

Betty and Kim smiled since they were not in trouble, but they knew that if what happened became a habit, they would end up in a little trouble every now and then. That is what happened too. It just happened that Kim liked sticking close to Betty when they were on land and Betty liked going to places where a cute redhead was bound to be harassed, even if she was a part of Betty Blackheart's crew.

* * *

Next time: Kim learns a harsh pirate law and has to cope.

1: Ratlines—a series of small ropes fastened across a ship's shrouds like a ladder used to climb the rigging.

2: Helmsman—the guy in charge of the helm, which is used to steer the ship.


	6. The Pirate Code

I don't own these characters; Disney does.

6: The Pirate Code

Betty groaned as she stumbled into the Captain's quarters, only to find her cabin occupied. She was not very surprised by it; in fact, she would have been more shocked if it was empty considering the fact that the two people in it had disappeared from the deck a while ago. Glaring at the two unwanted occupants in the room, Betty tore off her jerkin and threw the jacket in the direction of her favorite chair; it did not make it. She did not notice.

"You know, this is the Captain's cabin and I don't recall you two getting the vote," Betty grumbled, glaring that the pair for not leaving when she entered the room.

Vivian turned to look at the brunette while Kim's eyes remained focused on the table, looking over a map. Blue eyes showed little sympathy for Betty. The Captain snorted from the look, but secretly she was glad that Vivian did not seem angry with her. None of what happened was her fault, after all.

"What's the matter, sweetheart? Upset because when we're not on land Kim doesn't like your company at all?" Vivian teased, marching over to Betty. She hoped the light tease eased the one-eyed woman's mood.

Betty turned her nose up as Vivian stepped over to her and wrapped her arms around the Captain. Betty continued to glare down at the navigator. Vivian ran her hands up and down the Captain's back, feeling the tension there. Kim did not see any of this because she kept her eyes pinned to the map, not in the mood to see the one-eyed captain.

"Aw, it was a really hard day for you today, wasn't it, baby?" Vivian asked. The Global Justice had been docked at a port earlier in the day and Betty found out that one of her crewmembers was actually a spy for the Imperial Navy. As punishment, they left the cur on a tiny, deserted island with no provisions—as the Captain ordered. The thing that made the day especially tough was Kim arguing with Betty on her decision.

"Could we just go to bed?" Betty inquired, her voice low from aggravation and exhaustion. She did not want to see or even think about Kim for the moment.

"Sure," Vivian answered.

The blonde quickly dismissed Kim from the room. The redhead left, not even acknowledging Betty's presence. The Captain sighed and flopped down onto the bed as soon as the younger woman was gone. Vivian curled up into Betty's side, her presence comforting the brunette.

"You're taking this hard for someone who's supposed to be a salty seadog. So, the mermaid doesn't like you much right now. It'll pass," Vivian tried to assure the brunette, rubbing the small of her back in gentle circles. She was certain that Kim's fury would burn out eventually. The Captain and the redhead got along too well for Kim to stay mad forever.

"I don't care what she thinks," Betty lied, snorting through her nose to back up her claim.

"Yes, you do. That's your trouble-buddy. You hang out with her more than any other crewmate when we get on land. You have to remember, she's not too used to this life yet and she doesn't like killing. You know he's going to die and to her, you killed him," Vivian pointed out. "She was mad at me for a little while since I didn't say anything to stop you."

Betty nodded. "No matter what anybody said, that was the punishment. She needs to accept that."

The blonde nodded in agreement. "This is true." She paused for a moment and then realized something. "You know, we've had her on board for months now, but we never bothered to explain to her the code like we do for others."

Betty slapped herself in the head, unable to believe that they had let something so important slip by for so long. "Right. She took to everything else so easily that it slipped my mind."

"I noticed, but then again, I didn't bother to say anything either."

"You're just happy to have an apprentice navigator and a girly girl around," Betty teased, smiling for the first time all day. The remark earned her a chuckle and a light slap on the butt.

"Like you aren't happy that you have a bruiser around with the same interests as you. I've never seen a woman so prone to getting into bar fights outside of you anyway," the blonde commented.

Betty rolled her eyes, even though it was true. Kim got into a fight in almost every tavern she stepped into with the Captain. It amused Betty to no end because she loved fighting her way out of places. It was all of the bar fighting that brought Kim and Betty closer. And that was why Betty was so bothered by Kim's cold-shoulder ever since they marooned that filthy traitor on a barren rock earlier that day.

Vivian laid Betty down on their bed, assuring her that things would be better tomorrow. One of them would explain to Kim why the spy had been marooned and about the Articles of Agreement on their ship. They were sure that Kim would understand, as she was an intelligent and logical creature.

* * *

Kim sat on deck, covered by the night and watching the stars. Thanks to Vivian, she could tell where they were by the tiny dots in the sky. She had learned more about the stars in the past few months than she had learned about the entire sky in her whole prior life. She had learned a lot of things these past few months—mostly taught by Vivian and Betty.

Despite Vivian's warm personality, Kim actually felt closer to Betty and that was why it bothered her so much when the Captain ordered a traitor to be marooned on what amounted to a rock in the middle of the ocean. She knew that Betty killed people, having seen it happen during raids of prizes and such. But, she never thought that she would ever see Betty personally order the murder of one man, no matter what he did. It was exceptionally cruel. And no one—except her—had said anything.

She could not believe that the crew had condoned the punishment. Hell, Will had been the one to hold a pistol to the spy to get him off of the _Global Justice_. She could not believe the former Navy officer—which Will was and seemed to take silent pride in—had actually had an active role in killing a crewmember, killing someone they were not fighting. It did not make any sense to her and she could not see the justice in it.

She pondered this for the night, staying on deck and sleeping there since it was a warm night. Not surprised that Will woke her up to work, Kim yawned and went to get some breakfast before taking to the ratlines like she had been born in them. Checking the sails and the lines to make sure they were secure, Kim remained up there. She knew that as soon as she set foot on deck, the Captain would want a word with her. And if not the Captain, then Vivian would and after spending all of last night thinking about the marooning, Kim was not inclined to speak with the blonde either.

"Hey, Monkey-Mermaid, get down here!" Betty hollered. She had taken to exploring new nicknames for Kim before the incident yesterday. Nothing seemed to stick well, though. She knew that Kim did not like the nicknames she was earning off of the _Global Justice_, so she never used those.

"What? I'm securing the lines," Kim answered.

"You already did that! I'm not an idiot, you know!" Betty stated.

Everyone was surprised when Vivian did not chime in with a remark for that, especially since she was standing at the brunette's elbow. Silence from the blonde let the crew know that something serious was going on between the women on the ship. All of them men decided to give the ladies space, not wanting to be caught in any fighting that might happen.

Kim frowned. "That remains to be seen," she mumbled, not loud enough for the Captain to hear.

"Get down here already!"

The redhead grumbled a few more insults as she made her way back to the deck. Betty scowled as the younger woman approached the Captain. Olive eyes glared into pitch black, neither backing down. The bustle on the ship halted, all eyes on the Captain and technically the lowest member of their crew; both of whom were probably the greatest fighters the crew had ever seen.

"You wanted me, Captain?" Kim growled out, making the title sound like an insult. The crew thought that there was almost a challenging lilt in her voice. If there was, they suspected that they might get treated to the battle of the century.

"It's been brought to my attention that we never properly initiated you into the Company. Up until now, you've just been a stray mermaid some idiot fished out of the sea. We never made you swear in and we never made you sign the Code. So right now, we're going to do for you what we should've done months ago," Betty announced.

There were a few murmurs through the crew, as if they were not aware that Kim had never been sworn in. But, now that they thought about it, it was clear that she had not. This was why Kim never got a vote in anything and she got a smaller share of their prizes compared to every other member. It was fair, now that they thought about it, and they were happy that their Captain had the foresight to make sure it was fair. Betty had not treated Kim like a true member of the crew, even though it was clear that the Captain favored the redheaded female. It was thinking like that that made the men happy to serve under Betty Blackheart.

"What do you mean by properly initiated?" Kim asked suspiciously. She was pretty sure that Betty would never do anything to maliciously hurt her, even though the brunette had left a crewman to die just yesterday, but she was not sure what to expect from the band of pirates. Never mind the fact that she was one of those pirates.

"You need to read the Articles of Agreement and sign into the Company," Betty informed the younger woman, pulling a rolled up paper from the pocket of her jacket.

"The Articles of Agreement?" Kim muttered.

"Laws of the ship, rules for the crew and myself. Everyone who is a full-fledged member of the _Global Justice_ signs the rules and accepts the consequences of those laws should they choose to break them," Betty explained.

Kim nodded to show that she understood. Betty handed the paper over for Kim to read through the rules. There were ten in all with the first one explaining that every crewmember got a fair and equal vote on matters, except in times of combat when the Captain's word was final. Kim was not surprised by that one, even though she did not think that anyone really utilized his vote. The whole crew seemed more than happy to go along with whatever Betty decided, as if she could do no wrong in their eyes.

The next rule explained how the shares would be divided, which went with the jobs that sailors did on the ship. Most crewmembers got one share. Betty got two shares while Will got one and a half, as did Vivian. Kim could only wonder if Vivian got more since she operated under more than one job title on ship. But, then again, Will arguably acted as boatswain, partial-quartermaster, and gunner. Vivian seemed to be partial-quartermaster and doctor along with being the navigator. Money was not really an issue with Kim, so she did not bother to ask about it.

The third article really got her attention. It spelled out the actions that led to a crewmember being marooned. Betrayal of the Company and Captain were there, along with it being written plainly that the marooned would be left no provisions. Betrayal was clearly the worst crime, as it was the only one down that left the marooned with nothing. Even stealing from other crewmembers and running from a battle allowed the marooned a canteen of water and a pistol. Everyone knew—including the spy—what he had coming to him. Everyone except her.

"He knew what he had coming to him…" Kim muttered.

"He signed just like everyone else," Betty replied. In other words, he agreed to accept the consequences of his actions for breaking their laws, just like everyone else.

Kim would have argued that she still had a problem with it, but then she noticed the next article. It stated that when taking a prize—any prize—non-combatants were not to be killed or critically harmed. She doubted that she would find that rule on many—if any—other pirate ships. She liked that rule, and noticed that it was always followed.

"And if I sign this?" Kim asked.

"In for a penny, in for a pound, Kim. You're a real member of the crew then, reaping all of the benefits as such, but also suffering the same punishments if you break the rules," Betty answered.

"And everyone else has signed?" Kim inquired.

The brunette nodded and motioned to the crew. "Everyone on board."

Kim looked around at the crew that had been rather accepting of her these past few months. They took her for what she was and never asked about her past. A few times they had come across her wanted posters and all they said was that picture did not do her justice. They had never disrespected her and they always treated her like she was one of them. Honestly, she knew that she was one of them.

"Pass me a quill," Kim sighed, shaking her head. Then she turned to Betty and pointed a threatening finger at the brunette woman. "This doesn't let you off the hook, though. You still killed that man."

"Kimmie, he killed himself. He knew the consequences of his actions," the Captain replied blandly.

"Kim, don't be mad at Betty for that. It was clearly stated in the rules and you have so many other things to be mad at Betty for. Much more logical things," Vivian remarked with a smile. "Like the fact that she interrupted your charting lesson last night because she wanted to whine."

This statement made the crew realize that everything was back to normal for the most part. They watched as Kim signed the Articles of Agreement and cheered when she finished making her mark. Before someone could suggest breaking out the rum—tea for Kim—Betty reminded them that Kim still needed to take the oath.

"There's an oath too?" Kim muttered because it seemed like overkill to her.

"Some of the more willing crew can't read, so we do a written and verbal agreement," Betty informed the redhead in a low tone, not wanting to embarrass the sailors that could not read and therefore did not understand what they signed onto, even though they wanted to be members of the _Global Justice_. They just had not known when they signed on that the ship would be crawling with and commanded by highly-educated individuals.

Kim snorted, even though she understood that. The oath had visuals to go with it, showing the huge commitment everyone on board the ship made to Company and Commander. After swearing to follow both the rules and the Captain, and promising to be loyal to her Company before all others, Kim had to cut her hand and spill blood on the ship. Betty also cut her own hand and held it out for Kim. The redhead then shook Betty's hand with her bloody palm, showing they were connected by blood now. This was not only a promise from Kim, but also a promise that Betty made with all of her crewmembers—she would shed blood and give blood for them. As they clasped hands, the ship erupted into cheers a second time.

"Still mad at you, though," Kim told the Captain, wiping away any chance of a smile settling on Betty's face.

The crew had a good time celebrating their newest official member, but the rum tasted bitter to Betty. Vivian came up behind the Captain and ran her hands lightly up and down Betty's torso. Betty glanced at the smaller woman from the corner of her eye.

"Don't worry, Betty. She won't stay mad for long. She's too much like you. Once we find a prize and the action gets started, she'll remember how much she likes fighting along side of you rather than with you," Vivian stated.

Betty was going to disagree, but she decided to keep her mouth shut. Vivian turned out to be quite right; an annoying habit of hers. As soon as they came upon their next prize, Kim was over her anger, ready to fight along side Betty again. The moment of action got to the redhead, spoke to her, and got her past things with the Captain.

"This was a huge prize," Will reported after the siege was over.

"Make sure everyone get their share and if there's any decent food, make sure it's send to the cook so we can have a decent bloody meal," Betty ordered.

Will saluted and went to carry out those commands. Betty yawned and stretched, looking at the Imperial cargo ship that they had just taken. The Imperial sailors were still onboard, broken, bloodied, and for the main part incapacitated. They were also on their own now as Betty gave the order to her helmsman to get the _Global Justice_ to friendlier, warmer seas. Kim watched as the other vessel shrunk in the distance.

"You leave a lot of witnesses," Kim commented, speaking to the Captain.

"They tell the best tales about how the Hound of the Sea descended on them and ripped their ship in twain," Betty remarked with a chuckle. Sailors came up with the wildest stories as to why a crew with a woman captain robbed them blind.

"Most pirates would've killed those men, right?"

Betty shrugged. "It doesn't matter what most pirates would do. We're on the _Global Justice_ and I'm in charge. It's about what I would do."

Kim nodded. "So…Vivian said we're headed up to northern colonies. She didn't explain it, just showed me how to plot the course."

"Summer down here brings in a lot of tropical storms while summer up there brings in a lot of fur trading and other baubles. We won't be getting the same amount of gold, but there will be a lot of plunder to be had," the one-eyed woman explained.

"You've sailed all around the world, haven't you?" the redhead asked.

"A couple of times. Of course, I missed most of it since Vivi was nagging me most of the time," the brunette remarked.

Kim smiled a bit. "Vivian's been with you since her alleged kidnapping, huh?"

Betty sighed, but it sounded very amused, almost like a laugh. "It's been a long time, but I have sailed the seven seas with that monkey on my back."

"When are you going to stop?" Kim wondered aloud.

"Fate's gotta win sometime, Mermaid," the Captain answered.

Olive eyes took a long glance at the older woman. "You're a tough nut there, Captain. Just accepting it like that."

Betty shrugged. "Only the young think we live forever. And, sure, I said Fate has to win, but I didn't say it's going to win anytime soon. Come on, Monkey, let's go get some food while we've got something good."

Kim laughed. "Am I going to be 'Mermaid' or 'Monkey' around here?"

"Hey, the guys were suggesting we call you 'Mouse' because of the way you run up the ratlines."

Kim laughed again. She suspected that she was not going to make it off the _Global Justice_ with a nickname that did her any justice, but anything the crew came up with was better than what their rivals came up with. She went off with the Captain, feeling better about things now. She understood that the spy from before had brought his exile on himself. Betty was not a particularly bad woman. They just happened to be in a bad line of work.

The celebration of the latest prize lasted almost two days. Vivian and Betty disappeared into the Captain's quarters the first night and did not emerge until after the celebration was over. Kim did not think anything of it, but she was so sure that she was missing something about the Captain and the navigator's relationship. She just could not figure what, even now after being on board for a few months.

"Kim, come," Vivian waved her own. The blonde was smiling broadly, unable to stop even if she wanted to.

"Yeah?" Kim replied, trotting over.

"I've figured out our next prize and I want to show you. You might want to talk about it with Betty too. It'll be different from what you're used to," the blonde informed Kim.

Kim nodded. She wondered what would be different about their next prize. How different could it be to take a ship? They had been doing it for months now and she felt like she got the hang of it.

The redhead soon found out what was so different about their next prize. Vivian charted a course for an island and Betty set up a strategy for attacking a village. Kim did not think it could or should be done, but she was out-voted. As expected.

"How are you—or should I say we—going to take a village? And why are we trying to take this village?" Kim inquired with a craned eyebrow. That seemed like it was something that only an army could do and they were not an army. With less than a hundred crewmembers, they were barely a gang to most people.

"Watch and learn, Mermaid. I've been at this a lot longer than you and I happen to know who runs this village. Let's just say this filthy cur has it coming," Betty replied with a cocky smirk.

"Does your brother run the village?" Kim wondered aloud.

"My brother is not the only filthy cur in the world. Hell, he's not even the biggest," the one-eyed woman replied.

"With his height, I doubt he's the biggest anything," Vivian chimed in.

Will cleared his throat, knowing the ladies were entering waters that did not have a bottom. The noise got them back on track and Betty explained the plan. Kim soon found out that it was quite possible for a single brig to attack, defeat, and plunder a village. And if the viceroy's crying and begging for his life in exchange for all of the "villagers"—who were pretty much his slaves—were any indication of his personality, Kim had no doubt that Betty was being nice when she called him a filthy cur. Life with Betty continued to prove educational in interesting ways for "the mermaid."

* * *

Next time: Betty and Kim get into some trouble that tries to follow them home.


	7. Drinking buddies

I don't own these characters; Disney does.

7: Drinking buddies

If Kim never saw the choppy, dark blue waters of the north Atlantic again, it would be too soon. She found that the plunder was good and Betty was eager to educate her on all matters of the northern sea, just like she was with the southern sea. As long as the action was high, Kim was able to act like herself, but in between prizes, the darkness set in. For long hours, she stared into the liquid cobalt that swallowed the old Kim Possible, the one with hopes, dreams, and a future.

"Kim," Vivian called, approaching the redhead, who was perched on the railing.

Kim did not bother to turn. "Hmm?"

"I noticed every night since we left the south that you've taken to staring into the sea," Vivian pointed out, some concern easing into her voice already.

Kim nodded. "Just looking."

Blue eyes appeared quite skeptical. "You don't look like a person that's just looking. Your eyes aren't reflecting what's out, but what's in."

This caused Kim to give Vivian a sidelong glance. "You and the Captain philosophers in your spare time?" she asked with a hint of a smile.

"Scientists. It means we have the very bad habit of being curious. She hasn't noticed yet, but I have. Your eyes are looking in. What do they see?" the blonde inquired in a kind tone.

Kim took a deep breath and let out a long sigh. "I remember this water. The water looked like this on the day those filthy curs took Josh from me and the day I jumped to my death."

"But, you're alive."

"Not really. I'm a faded memory to those that once knew me. I can't show my face or reveal my name to anyone. I am dead." With the statement, Kim ran her hand through her long hair. She often felt dead, murdered by that horrible crew and chilled by these darkened waters, and now only her ghost remained, forced to wander the world with no true place to live.

Vivian arched an eyebrow. "That's where you've wrong. One, you're a pirate now. You can show your face to anyone you like and revel that your name is notorious. It's something that you can to embrace now, Kim. The people that know you will still know who you are and the people that don't won't bother to trouble you because of what they claim you did. You don't have to be a phantom in this world. You can still be yourself. You've accepted life on the _Global Justice_, but now you have to accept life as an outlaw. There's nothing you can do to change it, so you should embrace it."

"I'm not here by choice like you and Betty, though. I didn't ask for this so-called life," Kim grumbled.

"You are here by choice, as is everyone else. Don't try to tell yourself that anyone forced you to remain here because you know that no one can force you to do anything. You chose to stay aboard. You chose to be a pirate. You chose to be in this crew. If you're going to be a pirate, you might as well be one in the full. This is what Betty's been trying to teach you without saying it aloud and you've been quickly taking to it. After all, what's your favorite thing about being on this ship?"

Kim opened her mouth, but quickly closed it as she realized what she was about to admit. She was ashamed to think it, but truthfully, her favorite thing about being on the _Global Justice_ was fighting along side someone as noble as Betty. She knew that she should not think that pirate was noble, but she was. Betty brought a touch of humanity to the whole thing and Kim was able to get behind that. Betty never harmed non-combatants, she never stole personal items from people, and she only took cargo as a prize, never an entire ship. Most of the time, she robbed her father's ships, the Empire, or people that she knew were no good. This allowed Kim to work within the system, bending some of her morals, but not totally breaking them. This also allowed Kim to remain with the crew guilt-free for the most part while collecting a fortune of her own.

"It shouldn't have been this easy to stay with you," Kim thought aloud, shaking her head. It should not be so easy for her to suddenly become a criminal and to be able to justify it, but it was.

"Betty makes it easy. It's one the reasons I'm here. Sailing with the _Global Justice_ is an experience. For everyone it's different. I know you like the action and it helps keep you here, but it's definitely not the only thing that is in the experience for you. Fighting is something natural to you, but I think you've also found a kindred spirit in Betty. Someone very similar to yourself," Vivian pointed out.

Kim nodded. "Being around her does make it easy, but having you here makes it even easier."

Vivian smiled. "Thanks. So maybe you could tell me what your eyes were seeing now."

"When I was traveling with Josh, the water looked like this," Kim said, motioning out to the dark blue water.

"Josh was your fiancé correct?" Vivian inquired. The redhead had not mentioned him much since joining the crew. She did want to make it clear that she was not the one that murdered him despite what the wanted posters stated. Other than that, she did not really talk about him and Vivian respected that by not bringing him or Kim's so-called crimes up.

"Yes. We were supposed to see the colonies together. He kept telling me about the water, saying it was like poured jade or the flowing sky brought to Earth. I didn't believe him because all I saw was this water. I hate this water. It's so violent, rough, and I thought it was going to kill me that night," Kim explained, eyes straying back into the water. A shiver ran through her body, as if recalling when that brisk, turbulent sea swallowed her whole.

"But, it didn't."

Kim sighed and closed her eyes. "Sometimes, I wish it had…"

Vivian put her arm around the younger woman. "You only say that because the pain is still fresh. I won't tell you the pain will go away with time, but I will say that you survived for a reason. Your body is strong and wanted to live. Fate also has other plans for you, Kim. Bigger plans that you might not be able to see just yet, but they are there."

"What noble calling could I have being on a pirate ship?" the redhead asked curiously.

"Kim, have we proven to be any ordinary pirates?"

Kim shook her head. In fact, the crew of the Global Justice had proven to be extraordinary most of the time, especially the Captain. Betty had taught her much about her Company, including the fact that most of the ships they took belonged to her father. Often times Betty robbed slavers because she did not believe in slavery; Kim was with her on that. When they raided towns, Betty had already carefully researched them to find that the people were being treated as little more than slaves for the ruling governors. Whenever they were in town on shore leave, Betty was quick to step in when she saw some injustice, even though she was wanted by the Empire. So, no, they were not ordinary pirates.

But, they were still pirates. They still stole what was not theirs to earn their living. They were still wanted and hunted by the Imperial Navy. They were criminals.

"I don't think that Fate has some larger scheme for me by dumping me on a pirate ship, no offense. You guys are great, but you are still outlaws," Kim pointed out.

"This is true, but just because you're on the law's side doesn't mean you're right. Just like if you're outside the law doesn't mean you're wrong. The world is not so black and white, after all. I figured that you would've learned that lesson by now, sailing with us," Vivian commented.

The younger woman opened her mouth, hoping for an intelligent retort, but she did not have one. She had seen enough since joining the _Global Justice_ to know that the blonde navigator was correct. Vivian smiled at her a little, showing there were no hard feelings. She then cast her eyes out into the water, not seeing the same monstrous sight as Kim.

"The water calms me now, but it used to scare me. When I was younger, I was in a shipwreck and for a long time, I couldn't even look at the sea without bursting into tears. Meeting Betty changed that, she changed me, and the sea became a wonderful thing. I think if you give it a chance, it could have the same effect on you. The sea can be your best friend if you let it," Vivian commented.

"I thought Betty was your best friend," Kim remarked, obviously teasing a little.

"That arrogant blowhard?" Vivian let loose a dramatic scoff. "I'm merely waiting for my shining prince to show up and I'll leave her behind for good!" she lied, making wild hand gestures to add to her performance.

"I think Betty would be really lost without you," Kim said seriously.

Vivian sobered up. "She doesn't have to worry about that. I'll always be there for her. You'll find someone like that too, Kim. Somewhere is a person that you can't live without."

"It was Josh…"

Vivian shook her head, but decided not to comment. She knew that it was not Josh because Kim was still alive. Sure, she had almost died, but she had not really tried to kill herself. Vivian knew if something similar happened between her and Betty, she would use the first pistol or cutlass within reach to follow her Captain. No, there was someone else out there for Kim. Hopefully, they would meet soon.

* * *

The Global Justice docked at a port to let the lads stretch their legs, as Betty put it. They were headed back south, so Kim's spirits were lifting. Betty decided to drag her out on the town, thinking that some roughhousing was in order for the little "mouse."

"They're not calling me 'Mouse,'" Kim argued as she left the ship with her Captain and Vivian.

"You'd rather Betty continue having them call you 'the Monkey'?" Vivian inquired with an arched eyebrow.

"I'd rather everyone just call me Kim. I don't need a nickname. Will doesn't have one, after all," Kim pointed out.

"Not one you'd say to his face anyway," Betty remarked with an amused smirk.

"When is he going to figure out this isn't the Navy?" Vivian wondered aloud. She shook her head. Will was mostly talked about behind his back because he still acted like he was in the Imperial Navy, even though he was very aware that he worked on a pirate ship now. He was so hardheaded, she thought.

"Why isn't he in the Navy anymore?" Kim inquired curiously. She could not see how someone as straight-laced as Will could become an outlaw.

"Some of his fellow sailors set him up for their own crimes and Will isn't the smartest person on Earth, so he couldn't think of a way to prove his innocence. They were set to hang him for it," Betty replied.

"So, what happened?"

"I happened, of course. Saving Will was easy, getting him to leave me the hell alone, obviously much more difficult," the brunette quipped, smiling at her own joke.

"How'd you save him? How'd you know he didn't do what he was accused of?" Kim continued on.

"It was in a town and they had him in stocks. I was wandering around…uh…taking in the sights…" Betty said, the smile on her face implying something a little more than what her words were.

"Taking in the booze and whores more than likely," Vivian teased.

Betty growled at the blonde. "Anyway! I might have drank a little and been in a couple of bars. But, I heard the sailors talking about how they set Will up to take the fall for some things that they had done. They didn't really like him obviously. It was clear in their voices and they were amused by what they had done. I had plans to just kick their asses, but I realized that wouldn't help keep an innocent boy from swinging. So, I went to find Will. It wasn't that hard getting him out of the stocks. But, I'll tell you, the Navy hates when you take their personnel, even if the sailor is only about to be used to weigh down a rope."

"So, you saved his life?" Kim inquired, not really surprised by that. Depending on where they were and the mood that she was in, the Captain often stuck up for underdogs.

Betty shrugged, as if it was no big deal. To her, it was not a big deal. Will was the one that made it out to be a big deal, wanting to repay his debt. Betty shrugged that off too, but he was still around. She did not mind.

"He pledged his service to her from that moment on. Darling boy with the way he keeps that promise," Vivian commented with a smile.

"If that's what you want to call him," Betty remarked.

"Now, now, my dear, you know you love Will. He's your third favorite crewmate," the blonde teased.

The brunette decided against taking the bait for once, knowing who Vivian would say were her favorite two crewmembers. The conversation shifted as they continued their walk into town. They went to a hotel first, setting themselves up with a couple of rooms; Kim was across the hall from the Captain and navigator as was their custom now. Once the rooms were acquired, Betty and Kim vanished, which was also their custom now.

"She gets mad that we do that, right?" Kim asked, nodding her head back in the direction of the rooms.

"She knows how we are, Monkey. And she does need time alone just like we do. She just doesn't know it most of the time," Betty replied with a smile.

"You know her pretty well, huh?"

"Better than I know myself."

"Did you save her life too? Is that why she's part of your crew?"

The one-eyed woman cast her crewmate a sidelong glance. It often amazed her how naïve Kim still was. Months of terms of endearments, caresses, and kisses (although all by Vivian and none directly on the mouth) had not led an intelligent girl like Kim to realize what they were to each other. She supposed that made sense, though. Her relationship with Vivian was very much not the norm. Most people probably would not even consider their relationship possible, so she did not hold it against Kim that she did not figure it out.

"That is a long story, best told with rum in me hand," Betty replied with a laugh.

The redhead laughed. "I guess I best listen with tea in mine."

"I'll get you started on rum yet. No point in being down here in the warmest of the colonies and not enjoy the splendor in it all."

"I don't think rum is the splendor down here."

Betty laughed, but did not contradict the younger woman. Finding a tavern was not too difficult and the pair entered. All eyes turned to them, some lingered much longer than others, undoubtedly wondering why two women entered the bar. The newcomers were not affected by the looks, quickly finding an empty place and sitting down. A barmaid came over to take their drinks and almost burst out laughing when Kim ordered "anything that doesn't have alcohol in it."

"Bring the lass some sea water then!" someone yelled, earning deep, belly laughs from almost everyone in the tavern.

"Actually, bring the lass any type of tea you might have," Betty informed the waitress.

"No tea. We got coffee," the barmaid offered.

Betty flinched. They had given Kim coffee once before. Honestly, they had never seen someone so hyper before and she had no desire to ever see that again. Of course, the tea was only slightly better, but no, Kim would never have coffee while she was a part of the _Global Justice_ crew.

"Anything but coffee. Surprise her," the Captain decided.

The barmaid rolled her eyes, but walked off to go get her drinks. The pair of female pirates ignored several men offering to "surprise" Kim. One scruffy, large man decided to make it his business that Kim took him up on his offer. He staggered over to the table, drunk on spirits and his own ego. His giant, bear-claw of hand found its way to Kim's shoulder. Her lip curled in disgust immediately.

"I don't think you want to do that, pal. Unless you really want to lose that arm," Betty commented with an amused smile on her face. At that moment, the barmaid came over with the drinks. Betty noticed that the waitress froze for a moment before putting their drinks down with a shaky hand.

The "gentleman" scoffed, jutting his chin high in the air. "I'd give 'er the ride of 'er life! Kelly here knows that! Right?"

He shifted his attention from Kim and grabbed up the waitress. She whimpered as he pressed himself into her back. His huge mitt went to her breast and squeezed to the point where she cried out. He then had the nerve to rock into her back, rubbing himself against her. The waitress whimpered, tears gathering in her eyes. Betty glanced at Kim.

"May I?" the Captain inquired politely, motioning between herself and the rude "gentleman."

"Oh, please do," Kim replied with a smile.

Betty took a sip of her ale before climbing to her feet and slamming the glass into the man's face. The waitress screamed as the man howled in pain and fell back, letting the girl go. Betty chuckled while Kim went to the barmaid's side.

"You okay?" Kim asked the woman.

"He's going to kill her," the waitress whimpered.

"Don't worry about the Captain. She's more than capable of handling one big-blowhard," Kim remarked with a smile on her face to uplift the barmaid's spirits.

The redhead moved the waitress out of the way as the man climbed to his feet. Blood ran down his face, dripping onto the wooden floor. He snarled, ready to get in Betty's face only to be met with her pistol to his chin as soon as he was up. She laughed in his face while he gulped.

"Do you have any idea who I am?" he demanded to know, voice shaking against the metal of her gun.

"Sure, you're the guy on the end of my pistol, breathing in my gunpowder," Betty answered. "Now, my advice is you go back to your rowdy friends and start drinking something a little less potent. You get out of control again and I'll be shoving my pistol somewhere other than your face," she remarked with a cocky smirk.

He glared down at her, as if trying to test her. She did not waver; her eye hard and unblinking. He grumbled as he turned around and marched back over to his friends. Betty watched him go before turning back to her comrade. She smiled a bit at Kim before sitting back down. She reached for her drink, only to remember she did not have one anymore.

"Ah, damn it! I hit him with my drink!" Betty complained, jumping up from her seat and throwing her hands up.

Kim laughed a bit. "You can have mine, Captain."

The waitress chimed in. "Are you kidding? Drinking is the last thing you should be worrying about. That guy is more than likely going to come after you again later on," she pointed out.

Betty waved it off. "He can come as often as he wants. I don't go down for no one."

The pair of pirates took their seats again. The waitress brought over another drink for her savior. Betty's drinks were free that night, but they did come with glares from across the room. She and Kim ignored the men from the other side of the tavern, not thinking anything of them.

Of course, they knew things were not over. The pair was hardly surprised when the small group of four men tried to corner them as Betty staggered back to the hotel with Kim holding her up. The men thought that they had the two ladies as they entered an alley that Betty swore up and down was a short cut. The fellows glared down at them and chuckled darkly.

"We're in luck, guys. The big one's too drunk to stand up."

And they quickly learned, not only was that not true, but the "big one" was the least of their worries. Kim dispatched the four while Betty stood tall in the background, snickering. It never occurred to the men that the women they were harassing was the infamous Betty Blackheart and one of her most trusted crewmembers. But, then again, it never occurred to the ladies that those surly men were sailors in the Imperial Navy. And those Navy guys really can hold a grudge, especially against pirates.

It was not until later on that the sailors overheard men in a tavern laughing about the whole situation did the sailors know who kicked their asses. The fact that the women were pirates made it seem like a double insult to them, so they went on the hunt for the outlaws. They found out that Global Justice Company was at the dock, ready to ship out.

"Captain, looks like we got company!" Kim called from her spot atop the ratlines. She was making sure the sails were secure when she happened to spy a familiar quartet of men coming toward their ship. The men were with several other men, a few dressed in Navy gear.

Betty cast her gaze out. "Shit!" she laughed. "Never woulda thought those gents were in the Navy. Lads, we need to get moving NOW!" the Captain ordered.

"What have you done now, my love?" Vivian asked curiously.

Betty smiled. "Nothing more than usual. You know how I am," she replied in an easygoing tone before moving to get the ship out to sea immediately. The brig started to move as the men drew closer. "Will!" she called out to her loyal boatswain.

Will already knew what to do, taking out his pistol and firing at the men. The shot was not directed at them, only met to stop them for a moment. It worked. Other crewmen followed his lead and they were able to drift out of the port while the Navy sailors ducked for cover.

"Never a dull day, is it, Monkey?" Betty shouted up to the sails.

Kim shook her head. "No, never a dull day," she agreed. Suddenly her attention was drawn back to the pier when she heard one of the sailors swear revenge. An uneasy settled in her stomach, wondering what ill-fated wind carried that message such a distance and over the sounds of gulls and waves.

* * *

Next time: Playing with the Navy might get the _Global Justice_ in some trouble.


	8. All hands on deck!

I don't own these characters; Disney does.

8: All hands on deck!

Kim did not like the look of the water. She really wished that they were just back in the south, back in the calm, melted aqua of the islands. The mainland colonies were too close to this almost black water.

The sky was clear, but the water was unusually dark. Kim swore that the white on the charcoal waves looked more like grinning teeth than anything else. _The grinning teeth of a shark right before it comes in for the first bite_. She shook her head, hoping that they would soon be out of these unfriendly, foreboding seas.

"Hey, little Mouse, check the sails!" Betty called from the poop deck.

Kim glanced over at the Captain, thinking that was an odd order. The sails were obviously fine. She turned her eyes back to the water and realized that Vivian probably noticed her staring at the waves. Undoubtedly, the blonde suggested that the Captain give Kim something to do. She was happy for it and scurried up the ratlines to do as she was told.

Once she was at the top, she checked the sails just because she was up there. After making sure everything was fine with the lines, she cast her gaze out to the ocean. She figured seeing the sun and the sky along with the water would make her feel better. Instead of taking in the sights, though, she spotted trouble.

"Oh, crap," she muttered, taking in the light blue sails off in the distance. "NAVY!" she hollered down to the crew.

It seemed as if every Company man aboard heard that cry. Kim never knew so many men had spy-glasses until they pulled them out to see into the distance. Betty was the first one with her telescope out, but also the first with it put away.

"We can outrun them. This is one of the fastest brigs ever made," Betty declared confidently. A couple of ships at their back was nothing!

"Captain…" Vivian muttered and pointed out in front of them.

Betty turned to observe, yanking out her spy-glass a second time. A groan escaped her lips as she saw there were Navy ships approaching from the front too; there were two ships approaching them from windward(1). She checked her vessel's flanks, seeing a pair of ships coming in from the port side (2) too. It would seem that the Imperial Navy was serious.

"We've got company coming from windward, leeward(3), and port side. I never realized how popular we were!" Betty remarked, snapping her spy-glass shut. Far from looking worried about their current trouble, a cocky smile settled onto her tanned face.

"I know we can't out gun them, but can we outrun them?" Vivian inquired curiously. If they could get by the ships in front of them and outrun them, everything should be fine. But, the trick would be getting by the those front ships. Betty seemed confident that the ships at their back would not catch them and she liked to think that they would be able to outrun the ships coming at them from their port side too.

"You tell me, Navigator. Is there an escape route?" Betty countered. It was those front ships that would cause them the most problems, she figured. They needed to shake those vessels to truly make a clean getaway.

"There's always an escape route," Vivian proclaimed confidently "…I might need a moment or two to chart it, though," she muttered, scratching her head for a moment.

"Take that moment then, love," Betty replied. She then turned her attention to her busy crew below. "Lads, we've got a bit of a problem! It seems the Navy wishes to disturb our jolly plunder!" she declared, smiling still to downplay the situation.

The pirates all stopped looking out at the approaching Navy ships and turned their attention to the Captain, hoping that she had a solution for the problems coming for them. They all figured that she had things under control because she always did; it was one of the best things about sailing with her. Betty gave them a brief look, knowing what they were thinking. She did not want to tell them that she thought that might be in some serious trouble. She made sure to school her features into a hard, determined expression.

"Looks like a fleet, but that's nothing! They're just going to end up being eaten by us, the Hounds of the Sea!" the woman in charge announced with great confidence to a rousing round of cheers. "Prepare the guns for our guests!"

The crew quickly moved, getting the cannons and ammunition ready. Betty kept an eye on the Navy fleet while waiting for Vivian to bring good news about an escape route. Her jaw tensed; the Empire was not pulling out any stops for her. She could not recall the last time that she heard of six Naval ships being sent after one pirate ship. So much attention and she did not even have a fleet of ships yet! She hoped the other pirate commanders out there were not jealous, she thought to amuse herself.

"Sir, should we go into special battle forms yet?" Will inquired, standing right next to the one-eyed woman right now.

"We don't want to play too much into their hands. Right now, they have us easily out manned and out gunned. Our best bet is to outrun those ships while keeping them at bay with our guns. At least you know we merit so many ships. Seems the _Global Justice_ is quite popular among the Navy," Betty remarked, cocky smile still in place.

"Well, sir, you have taken over thirty prizes since starting out," Will commented.

Betty shrugged as if it was not big deal. She was not interested in stats at the moment, even though she was certain that the Navy was. She dismissed Will, wanting him to get to his gun because she was sure they were about to take on fire. The Navy was close and getting closer with every passing second. A feral smile spread across Betty's face. She was itching for a fight, as always.

"Well, Fate, let's see what you got," the one-eyed woman said to the wind.

The first shot was fired moments later, falling several feet short of the _Global Justice_. Will looked almost ready to crack a smile from the rather pathetic—in his opinion—shot. Betty did chuckle at the attempt. Those Navy guys might not know who they were messing with if they were going to take warning shots at the ship instead of trying to take them out as soon as possible. Betty figured that they would have to pay for taking the _Global Justice_ and its crew so lightly.

"Will," Betty called.

"Aye, sir!" the ebony-haired bosun(4)/gunner replied, knowing exactly what his Captain wanted.

Will prepared his gun(5); he was the only gunner that worked alone. He found no one else could work his gun in the way he wanted. He resented anyone going near his gun too, so he did not want to work with anyone, thinking that they might somehow harm the cannon. Of course, if the Captain ordered someone to help him, he reluctantly yielded to it.

Will's return got a round of cheers from the crew. Despite the distance, Will nailed the ship that dared to fire on them. The reason he hated for people to touch his gun was because he had modified it himself…okay, with a little help from the Captain and Vivian, but it was not the average gun. A ghost of a smug smile twinkled in his eyes.

"Reload, Will! Maybe we can slow them down a bit," Betty announced as the ships came ever closer. In a moment, she knew that they would not be getting warning shots, but cannonballs ripping through the _Global Justice_. "Lads, ready your guns, but do not fire. We'll leave them to taste lead from Will's gun and confuse them as to why we won't fire more than one gun."

The men agreed and the gunners all readied their cannons, but no one opened fire just yet. Will continued firing, but he was not doing it fast enough for Betty's liking. She barked for Kim.

"Monkey, help Will with his gun! We need more than what you're giving!" Betty huffed.

"I don't need any help!" Will objected, readying to fire his next charge.

"Let her swab the barrel! You're wasting too much time. She knows how to use a gun," the Captain reminded him with a growl. It was no time for egos or pride when they had several vessels approaching them from all directions.

The former-Navy sailor frowned, but he did not object. Kim dropped down from the lines, landing right next to Will. She had seen how the gunners worked their guns, so she knew the steps. She just never really worked guns herself.

"Start with the swab," Will commanded, not harshly, but with enough force for her to get the idea that she needed to move now.

Kim went to work. She never said so because she knew it would go to Will's head, but she was impressed that he worked his gun alone. Some of the guns needed as many as six men on them, which was normal. Betty and Vivian had modified many of the cannons on the _Global Justice_ and two or three crewman could work them without much trouble. None of the guns had the range of Will's or could be operated by a single person like his either.

"Lads, be ready to fire! Take aim at the ship next to the one Will is taking care of," Betty ordered as she watched the ships getting closer. She used her telescope to check on the damage that Will was doing to the one ship off on the port side. She nodded, approving of the damage, seeing the Will was making short work of the main mast. "Bless that boy's eyes and aim," she muttered. Unfortunately, they still had to worry about the ships to their front and their back. Those were getting much closer and could easily fire upon them at any moment.

Charges exploded in the waters around the _Global Justice_. The crewmen did not return fire, still letting Will go on his own. His firing speed increased with Kim helping him—not that he would admit to that. Betty frowned and hoped that Vivian would have a way out of their current mess soon. As the ships came closer, she finally gave the word.

"FIRE!"

Blasting sounds erupted as every gun on the _Global Justice_ went off at the same time. Smoke drifted off into the air and charges hurried through their marks. The Naval ship slowed almost instantly, feeling the damage of the _Global Justice_. Well, it seemed like they had a good handle on the two ships on their side, but there were still the other four.

"Reload!" Betty hollered at the crew. She then turned to the blonde navigator, who was pouring over her maps and charts. "Vivi, baby, any day now," the Captain cooed as the sounds of explosions hollered over the waves. Cannon balls sailed over head and through the ship as more guns erupted, firing back and forth at each other.

"I'm working on it, sweetie! We don't frequent these waters enough for me to have an immediate solution for you," Vivian pointed out.

"Be quick about it, Vivi," Betty snapped. They did not stand a chance in a gunfight against so many ships. It did not help matters that the ships were all getting closer. She feared that they would soon be boarded by the Navy.

"If only it was that easy…" the blonde muttered.

The Captain tried to access the situation and come up with a better solution since Vivian could not hurry as she wished. She knew that their best bet was to outrun the Naval ships that were bombarding them with heavy charges. There was only one way to do that too. The only side that was open to them was the starboard side. She suspected that meant that there was land close by and that was why a ship had not come from that side. She just hoped the land was not too close.

"Take us southeast," Betty commanded the helmsman.

Vivian glanced up, but she did not say anything to the Captain. Betty hoped that glance meant "oh, yeah, that's safe" instead of "I don't think you wanna do that, honey." Vivian had not looked up long enough for Betty to figure out which it really was.

Deciding that Vivian would speak up if something was wrong, Betty turned her attention back to the Navy. Cannon balls ripped through the ship, taking bits of the mast and railing. Betty actually laughed a bit.

"Their gunners aim like me without my eye," she remarked to the air. They did not seem to have the depth perception or proper direction while aiming. She hoped that things stayed like that, so they had a chance to get away.

"Captain, the ships at the head are closing in," the helmsman reported.

"Steady the course, man," Betty ordered, turning her attention to the ships in front of them. If they stayed on the course that they were, those ships would eventually end up on the left. "Kim!"

The redhead popped up, hearing her name over the cannon fire, roar of the ocean, and all around destruction. Green eyes went to the Captain, who waved her up. Kim charged up to the poop deck, leaving Will to his gun, as he preferred.

"Captain?" Kim asked.

"Go to the gun deck(6). I want all the guns on the port side," Betty ordered and Kim nodded. The redhead ran off while Betty turned to the helmsman. "Make sure you keep those ships to port."

"Aye."

Betty hoped that they had a chance if they kept all the ships to the left, all of the guns could focus on the left. That at least doubled the firepower. Cannon fire echoed through the air, smoke began low hanging clouds, and the water erupted like angry volcanoes each time a charge missed a mark. Splintered woods shot out in every direction when a cannon ball did hit its mark. Sailors had to dodge splinters and other debris coming off any struck target.

The only thing rivaling the sound of the guns were the shouts trying to carry over them. Screams of pain carried in the din, coming from all ships involved. Any smaller agonized noises were swallowed by the roar of battle. The sky turned gray from the eruptions sparking out of the cannons and the sun seemed to be devoured by the smoke. The smell of gunpowder, burning embers, smoke, blood, sweat, and salt water burned the nostrils of everyone out in the air. The deck rocked under Betty's feet, but she held steady, carefully watching the Naval ships, trying to find a weakness or an opening for them as the Navy crept closer. Soon, they would not even have to fire the cannons and would be able to just ram the _Global Justice_.

"Vivi!" Betty called, checking on their plan A, knowing they were still going to need a plan B.

"I'm working on it, sweetheart!" Vivian answered, pouring over her charts, trying her best to keep them on the table as the ship rocked violently with poundings from the charges.

"Continue fire!" Betty hollered over the havoc and mayhem. She thrust her cutlass in the air—the signal for her crew to keep firing, just in case they did not hear her. They honestly did not need the reminder command.

"Captain, anything else for me to do?" Kim inquired, running back up to the one-eyed woman.

"Unless you can hold a cannon on your shoulder…" Betty trailed off as she noticed swinging ropes from the ratlines. "Actually, come with me," the Captain commanded, glancing over to ships getting closer. One was near enough to ram their ship now. They needed to do something about it as soon as possible.

Kim did not argue and just followed the Captain to the ratlines. When Betty grabbed into one of the ropes, Kim got the idea of what they were about to do. She did not even wonder if they would make it to the other ship; she just swung out right after Betty. They landed on the closest Imperial vessel—the one close enough to ram their ship—and started kicking around the closest sailors. The Navy crew did not know what hit them—literally for many of them.

"Get them!" the commanding officer hollered, pointing to the pirates that just boarded.

As men moved, they met Betty's cutlass as Kim dropped into a defensive stance. Naval sailors, dressed in their pressed light blue uniforms, came to the women as if they were sirens. Those uniforms were quickly soiled, blood spilling on the deck and seeping into those baby blues. They just were not sure what hit them in such a quick amount of time.

"They be demons disguised as women!" a sailor gasped before Betty ran him through with her blade. She quickly turned and dispatched another Navy crewman without acknowledging what the other man said. She cut down as many men as she could with the speed that almost did not seem human.

"Captain!" Kim called, spinning into a roundhouse kick and taking down two men at once.

Betty knew why she was being called, so she started moving without responding. Kim followed her lead, as she expected and they moved to get off the ship. They did not have to find any loose lines because sailors on the _Global Justice_ hastily swung ropes over to them. Catching the ropes, the duo vanished from the naval vessel just as quickly as they appeared. Landing back on the deck of the _Global Justice_, Betty went right back into command form with top deck gunners took care of the ship that was closest to them.

"Vivi!" Betty hollered over the roar of the cannon fire.

"We're coming to the inlet of a wide river!" Vivian shouted back.

"River?" Betty echoed and marched up to the poop deck to find out what the blonde was going on about. She also checked to see that four of the Navy ships were getting closer. They had managed to slow down, so they probably would not do much damage if they did close enough to ram the _Global Justice_. Still, they were firing on the pirates and that was dangerous enough.

"We can sail up river. It's wide enough for the ship, but the Navy wouldn't be able to follow us as a group. They'd have to go single file. We can make it back to the ocean because the river forks shortly after. We should at least be able to even the odds or slow them down," Vivian answered.

"Better battle plan than I have at the moment," the Captain admitted. "Helmsman!"

"I have the orders already, Captain!" the helmsman answered.

Betty did not see a problem with that and turned her attention back to the battle at hand. Opening her mouth to call out an order, she quickly closed it as the ship lurched to the right side and over the cannon roar, the whole crew heard the thundering sheering of wood assaulting their ears worse than the cannons were doing to their hull. The Captain's face dropped instantly, looking as if her guts had just been torn out.

"Did we just wreck the hull?" Betty wondered aloud, even though she knew the answer to that. That gut wrenching sound was unmistakable, like having a tree fall on a house.

"Damn it, we hit a reef!" Vivian hollered, running to the side of the brig to confirm her suspicions.

"Captain, the crew below deck wanted me to tell you we're taking on water," Kim reported, coming up behind the brunette.

"Son of a scalawag!" Betty growled. "Abandon ship! Abandon ship!" she commanded her crew, knowing that if they stayed with the _Global Justice_, they were sitting ducks. Although she doubted that they would fare much better on land. The Navy was just too close to them now. Those sailors would descend on them like gulls on a fish carcass.

Vivian's face dropped. "Abandon the _Global Justice_?" she echoed in disbelief. This ship was Betty's baby and she had been on it for as long as she had known Betty. So, the ship was pretty much home for her and because it was precious to her beloved, it was precious to her.

"There will be other ships to be had, Vivi, but only one life to live," Betty pointed out. It broke her heart to call for the total abandonment of her ship, but right now, they did not have a choice.

Vivian did not dispute that and Betty took her hand to lead her to one of the lifeboats. Kim followed along as usual. The Company boarded the boats as the _Global Justice_ listed further to the left as water poured in from the piercing in the hull. The Navy washed no time closing in on the defenseless pirates, firing at the rowboats with cannons while making sure to stay away from the reef that tore apart the _Global Justice_. The crew of the _Global Justice_ hoped that they could make it to land before the Navy overran them.

"Kim," Betty said, pulling the petite redhead close to her.

"Captain?" Kim questioned.

"I have something that I want to give you," Betty explained in a low tone.

"Captain?"

Betty reached inside her jerkin and pulled out a wrinkled, rolled up parchment. It was more like leather than paper. "You take this and the second we hit the beach, you run like hell away from this place," she explained, sliding the document to Kim as discreetly as possible.

Kim blinked hard, olive eyes laced with confusion. "Captain?"

"There's going to be nothing but bloodshed on that beach. The Navy has us. They're going to be on us like dogs before we even get to land. So, you take this and you get the hell out of there as soon as you can. Consider that an order from your Captain during an attack," Betty stated in a hard tone.

Kim could only nod, knowing that because of her vow to the Company that she could not refuse a direct order from the Captain during an attack. That was grounds for marooning because it showed a lack of trust.

Betty proved to be right. The attack started before they even made it to the beach. Navy snipers were shooting at the pirates from the ships, plucking them off one by one while the Navy ships put their own lifeboats into the water to chase the outlaws. As soon as the water was low enough to stand in, pirates and Naval sailors alike took to the water, looking to run or to chase. Red washed into the dark blue ocean, turning the water a sickening black.

The Captain pulled her cutlass and fought off any sailors that ventured near her or the two other women of the crew. As soon as sand was under her feet, Betty pushed Kim away, urging her toward the cover of the nearby forest. Kim did not move fast enough for the Captain's liking.

"Run now, girl, or I'll run you through myself!" Betty promised with a snarl.

"What about you and Vivian?" Kim implored them with her eyes to flee with her or let her fight with them.

"We play Fate again," the brunette replied. "But, it is not your game, Monkey. Go now!"

Kim did not look ready to move, so Betty went as far as she shoving her cutlass in the redhead's face. It did not stay there for long as Naval sailors came to them, looking to show what they were made of. Kim stepped in to fight, only to find her Captain's boot in her chest. Kim fell back, shocked that Betty had actually kicked her.

"There's more where that came from!" Betty shouted and it was unclear if she was talking to Kim or the Navy sailors, who were joined by more of their comrades.

Kim was about to join in again, but a shot at her feet stopped her. Looking up, she saw that Vivian was the one aiming the pistol at her. The glare in those sky blue eyes made her move away. She ripped her eyes from the grisly battle scene where the pirates were outnumbered by almost five to one. Screams of pain echoed in her ears and bodies gushing blood ripped through her eyes. The blood of her comrades, the comrades she was leaving on order of the Captain. Despite the fact that it was so clear that the battle was one-sided, a large part of Kim wanted nothing more than to stay with them and hold ground with them. But, the look in Vivian's eyes as she pointed that gun at Kim kept the redhead moving away from the carnage. Soon, the sounds grew faint, but the images remained fresh in her mind.

* * *

Next time: Kim does battle with a pirate known as The Dragon of the Sea, who works for a Cap'n Drakken.

1: windward—the side facing the direction the wind is blowing.

2: port side—the left side.

3: leeward—the direction the wind is blowing; the opposite of windward.

4: Bosun—the boatswain.

5: Gun—on a ship, a cannon is called a gun.

6: Gun deck—pretty much just what it sounds like. A deck below the top deck where there were more cannons. Ships usually had guns on the top deck and the gun deck.


	9. Eyes on the prize

I don't own these characters; Disney does.

So, I just found out that is eating my line breaks. Sorry about that.

9: Eyes on the prize

Kim moved all day and all night through dense forest and swampland. Only when she was certain that no one was following her did she stop for rest. Finding the cover of dense brush, she rested her back against a tree. Before anything else came to mind, she thought of her crewmates and how they probably met their demise at the end of a Navy cutlass or a Navy bullet. Those not so lucky would of course met their end at the end of an Imperial noose—a pirate's necktie, the lads had jokingly referred to it (1).

_The lads… _

Just thinking of those words, Kim was forced to think of Betty. The grouchy old Captain had taken her under her wing and taught her the life of a pirate—a strange pirate, but a pirate nonetheless. Betty showed her that such a life did not have to be about mere looting and killing. It was not about living completely and utterly lawless either. There was a unique freedom to being a pirate and one could do with that freedom many things, including stand up for people who could not do it themselves as Betty often did and also offer people that had nothing something, which Betty certainly did.

Thinking of the Captain led to thinking about Vivian, which saddened Kim even more. She felt close to Vivian in a way that was different from Betty. Usually, she thought that she was closer to Betty because they were very similar, but now that she thought about it, she could tell that she had been just as close to Vivian. The nature of their friendship was just different from the one that she shared with Betty.

Vivian was her confidante and she could talk about her personal life with the blonde navigator. At the moment, she wished that she had shared and opened up more. She knew that she could trust Vivian and the older woman would have tried to help, but that was an opportunity lost. Vivian taught her more things that she could imagine—how to chart maps, how to read maps, how to navigate by the stars, how to use all of the navigation instruments, and how she could find a friend in the sea if she only let it in.

Silently, Kim vowed to never forget these women. She prayed that they did not meet their end, but even if they did and Fate finally won, she hoped to see them again someday. If they were indeed gone from this world, then she hoped that they died how they lived—free.

With that in mind, she into her pocket and pulled out the parchment, curious as to what Captain Betty Blackheart trusted her with so deeply. Unfolding the wrinkled, thin document, she blinked hard when she saw it was a map. Written across the top of it in Vivian's delicate calligraphy was the word "dreams." Studying the map, she could figure out the start point. It looked like she was going to have to make her way back to the southern seas and to the Middleton colonies. From there, she would be able to follow the map, which seemed to be in code. Making matters worse, there was more than one path and she was going to have to figure out which one was the right one. She supposed those were security measures if the map ever got into the wrong hands, but Betty seemed to believe that she would be able to decipher it.

"Did she entrust me with their dreams?" Kim wondered, studying the map like the puzzle it was. She was going to have to channel Vivian if she wanted to figure it out, she thought.

Deciding that it would be better to contemplate the map after a good rest, Kim folded the map up and secured it in her pocket. She fell into a light sleep almost immediately, having an exhausted, dreamless rest. When she woke up, she was determined to make her way back to the south and figure out the map to fulfill the dreams that she was now holding.

* * *

The sea in the south did not just look different to Kim. It smelled different. It gave off a different aura, relaxed her instead of making her anxious and brooding like the north sea. Still, the ocean made her pensive and most of the time when she found herself without something to do, she would stare into the water and roll around thoughts, memories, and ideas in her head until things that made sense did not, and things that were nonsense seemed logical.

Propped up against the gunwale, Kim watched the water as the ship that she was on cut through it. She was lucky to be on board this ship. She had learned a lot on her own and one of the first things was that most sailors thought that it was bad luck to have a woman onboard (2). She rolled her eyes at the very idea. _Obviously they've never been on the Global Justice!_

On her journey from the middle of nowhere in the northern colonies to the southern island colonies, Kim had also heard many rumors about the fate of the Global Justice Company. Many of the crew actually drowned before even making it to land because they could not swim. Apparently, a lot of sailors did not know how to swim for some superstitious—and in Kim's opinion very stupid—reason. She could not believe that most men who spent their adult lives on water could not swim(3).

Other members of the Global Justice had died on the beach, ending their lives the way that many of them wanted. Of course, Kim thought most of them would want to live a lot more than wanting a glorious death. Still, that was better than the few crewmembers that were captured. They were shipped back to the Middleton colonies since the crew mostly terrorized the stretch of sea between those islands and the Capitol. Rumor had it that those pirates were going to subject to a show trial before being executed; a show of Imperial power over the colonies and the south sea.

No word reached her about the Captain of the Global Justice or the loyal navigator that stayed with the Captain until the bitter end. A frown slid onto Kim's face and she cut her eyes from the sea. Disgust clouded her vision and fogged over her mind. How could someone who could barely hold her own in a fight stay, while Kim, who was certain that she was one of the best fighters on the Global Justice—hell, in the Empire—ran like a scared child? She mentally scolded herself that she should have been there with them. She should have gone down with them, like a crewmate was supposed to do. It was her sworn duty to stand and fight with the Company.

But, it was also her sworn duty to obey the Captain in a combat situation. That had definitely been a combat situation. Of course, she had been set to break that oath if only Vivian had not surprised her by shooting at her feet. She should have stood by her mentors and friends, like the rest of the crew. She quickly shook those thoughts away, knowing the memories would haunt her for days if she dwelled on it. Right now, the only thing she wanted to dwell on was reaching Middleton and figuring out the map. It was the least she could do for Betty and Vivian, she figured.

Movement further out to sea caught her attention. She could see it was a ship in the distance and it was getting closer. Her eyes narrowed as she tried to see the ship better. Something seemed off about the vessel, but she needed a better look before she could figure out just what it was. Luckily, she carried a spy-glass with her. Yanking it out from her belt, she peered out to the approaching vessel and she knew what felt off now. Replacing her spy-glass in her belt, she hopped off of the edge of the ship and marched up to the poop deck.

"Captain," Kim said, causing the commander of the ship to turn to her.

"Young lady, you shouldn't be up here," he scolded her.

"I know, but there's a suspicious looking ship coming up on us pretty fast," Kim reported, pointing out to sea at the vessel.

"This is a major shipping lane. We're bound to see one or two while we're out here," he answered in a patronizing tone, dismissing her with his eyes.

"Ones that fly that flag?" Kim inquired, shoving her spy-glass on his eye.

He was about to dismiss her again, but he took a look first. He blinked hard. "Those aren't Imperial flags…" he muttered.

"Not only are they not Imperial flags, they're not flags of any nations with colonies in this part of the world. Very suspicious," Kim stated.

The Captain sighed and shook his head. "Must be Cap'n Drakken," he muttered.

"Cap'n Drakken?" Kim echoed, trying not to laugh at the odd rhyme.

"He's a pirate that thinks he's better than he is. He's managed to take down a few ships that weren't ready for him. Well, really, that weren't ready for his quartermaster (4) or his strange array of weapons," the Captain explained.

"What do you mean?"

"He's a tinkerer and that's what he's good at. A lot of his weapons have been modified and that's what allows him to take the few ships that he has. But, like I said, it's his quartermaster that's the real problem."

Kim was intrigued and almost wished that she had not pointed out the ship, so she would get to see the pirates in action. "How so?"

"She's some type of demon wench. A Fury, or valkyrie, or just the daughter of Satan himself," the Captain answered with a tremble in his voice. "It's said she falls out of the sky onto ships with her hands burning with the touch of the devil."

Kim wondered what happened to lead to that sort of exaggeration. She knew that the tales around Betty all had a core of truth to them that made huge men in large numbers quake in their boots at the mere mention of Betty Blackheart, but the stories were still blown way out of proportion. What was the core of truth to this dreaded quartermaster? Making it all the more interesting was the fact that the Captain said "she." This most feared person was a woman.

"If we hurry we might be able to get out of the range of his catapults and guns," the Captain said.

"Catapults?" Kim parroted in a confused tone. Who had catapults at sea? She considered that she might have just heard wrong.

"Yes, that's what he uses to launch his quartermaster from his ship onto others. She tears through everything and everyone, so that Drakken can easily take the ship. The catapult doesn't have the best range, but it's enough to cause trouble," the Captain answered.

Kim nodded and ended her questions there, allowing the Captain to get the ship out of the pirates' range. The redhead went back to her perch, watching the other vessel disappear in the distance. She could imagine the pirate captain hollering as the prize got further and further away. Betty went on a tear the one time that happened on the _Global Justice_ until she put her hand through a piece of the ship. She had hurt her hand and almost cried when she noticed that she damaged her precious ship. Vivian had tended to her hand while Will had tended to the ship.

Not wanting to get lost in her memories, Kim shook those thoughts from her mind. Shifting thoughts quite easily, she thought about the markings on the map, trying to figure out what the symbols meant. That kept her occupied until the ship docked.

She was not in the Middleton colonies, but it was close enough. Inhaling deeply, she smiled as she took in the sweet air of the southern colonies. Smile in place, she set out to find out about the town that she was in and if she might be able to get a ride to the Middleton colonies. From there, she would try to figure out the code and follow the map.

Wandering into a nearby tavern, Kim ignored the rowdy group of sailors that watched her as she entered. She noticed the din in the bar went to down when she stepped inside, which always happened. She knew that folks were assessing her, wondering if she was someone that they could take advantage of. They were welcome to try…and fail, like everyone else that tested her.

Kim sat down in the middle of the bar. A waitress wandered over, almost as if she was scared to approach Kim because the redhead might be crazy. She eyed Kim as if she was trying to figure out just how insane, suicidal, or lost Kim might be. Since she seemed perfectly fine, although obviously asking for trouble, the waitress came to take her order.

"Whatever tea you have," Kim ordered, and the waitress practically fell over while ears all over the tavern perked up.

"Tea? Are you sure you don't want something a little stronger? Ale? Rum?" the waitress inquired. She leaned in close. "It might help keep the brutes away for a little longer," she whispered, glancing at all of the eager eyes that watched them. She knew that the moment that she walked away, many of the men were going to try to eat Kim alive.

Kim laughed. "No, tea please. I don't drink spirits," she replied with a bright smile.

The waitress almost fell over again. She decided to stagger off before the redheaded girl got to see where her strangeness would get her. All eyes remained on Kim, but she did not seem to notice. Her tea was brought to her post haste. Sipping her tea, she smiled as she found it quite refreshing. She pulled out her map and studied in the marks on the document. Her attention seemed to be on the map, but she was very much aware of her surroundings.

"Oh, that's it. She's got a map too!" someone in the back grumbled. Kim had already taken in the group that was sitting toward the back. They had not seemed very threatening from what she could tell, just a bunch of fat wannabe seadogs.

"Hey, take it easy. A lot of other guys saw that too and they ain't moving. Maybe they know something you don't. Besides, if we start trouble in here, you know Navy officers will be in here quick and we can't chance getting arrested in the Empire."

Kim chuckled a bit to herself. It was true the other men might have known something about her. She had been a pirate for over half-a-year, following Betty around. Some of the men in the bar could have easily seen her with Betty in the past or heard about her—Betty's redheaded shadow or Betty's salty puppy, they called her behind her back. To her face...well, they usually did not say anything about her to her face after she put them on _their _faces.

"She's an easy prize!" The argument persisted.

"You said that earlier about that ship that got away too."

Kim briefly wondered if the gentlemen that were talking about her were referring to the incident with the ship that she was riding on, the one that was approached by the pirates. She supposed that she would have to listen for a little longer to find out. She just hoped that those guys kept their conversation over there. She did not have much desire to "talk" to them in person.

"That ship was an easy prize! It just happened to pick up speed before Shego could catch it!"

"Don't bring me into this," a cranky female voice huffed.

"Okay, how could she not be an easy target? A waif with a treasure map? We need to get over there before someone else does! We need more money for me to build the ultimate weapon to take on the Empire!"

Kim almost spit her tea out. Who the hell actually had ambition to take on the Empire, thinking that they would win? Especially when they were nothing more than obscure pirates. If they were the pirates that the captain told her about earlier, then they were more out of their minds than she first assumed. It would take a lot more than one pirate ship to defeat the entire Imperial Navy, no matter how "ultimate" the weapon was that they possessed.

Her thoughts were distracted when she noticed shadows moving closer to her. It did not take a genius to figure out that they had decided she was an easy prize. She was going to have to prove them wrong.

"Excuse me, little lady," a voice said, prompting Kim to look up. She found an oddly blue-tinted man, who could only be a pirate considering how flamboyantly he was dressed, staring down at her with beady black eyes, one with a scar underneath it.

"Yes, what can I do for you?" Kim asked quite politely, going so far as to smile at the stranger, as well as the chubby fellows behind him.

"You can hand over that treasure map there," he ordered with a cocky grin, nodding toward the document in her hand.

Kim glanced down her map. "I don't think you want this."

He frowned for a moment and then smiled again. "I don't think you know who I am."

"No, I don't. Don't really care either. Now, you might want to go back to your table and leave me to my thoughts," she informed him. She doubted the map would do him any good anyway. The code was hell to crack, and she still had not cracked it. Leave it to Vivian to make an impossible code, she thought.

He sputtered. "Why, you! Don't you know I'm Captain Drakken? The most feared pirate around here?!" he huffed.

The redhead arched an eyebrow, a glint in those olive eyes. Thanks to her time as with Betty, many people actually knew about this look. It always meant trouble when she and Betty were out. It saved many men embarrassing moments, but apparently, the story had not reached this particular colony or maybe just the man did not know about it.

"Drakken, huh? Well, Cap'n Drakken, I'm minding my business. How about you do the same," Kim suggested, trying to be gracious and spare him the butt-kicking that he seemed to be asking for.

"If you don't give us that map, we'll just take it," Drakken assured her with a cocky grin.

Kim smiled. "I would love for you to try."

Drakken made a noise like he was choking, shocked from her gall. "Get her!" he ordered.

The young woman chuckled a bit as several of the large and wide men stepped forward. Kim continued to laugh as one reached down to grab her, but she quickly jumped out of her seat. For a moment, the men thought that she disappeared. The sound of her giggling drew their attention to her, seeing her standing a few inches back with a playful smile on her face. They rushed her, not wanting to be made fools of.

Kim was certain that she never had an easier fight in her life. A few well-placed kicks and the men were kneeling before her. She smiled down at them while their captain backed up in horror.

"You will give me that map!" Drakken declared.

"Come and get it," Kim dared him.

Drakken ordered more men at the petite redhead and they obeyed. The men charged Kim only to find themselves on their backs, just like their crewmates. Drakken backed up a little more, but he still seemed determined…determined to get his whole crew demoralized in Kim's opinion. An angry frown settled on his sky-colored face. More of his men went at Kim on his order and she floored them even easier than the others. They were barely a warm up.

"SHEGO!" Drakken screamed at the top of his lungs.

A loud groan could be heard from the back of the bar. "I'm trying to finish my food here!" a female voice huffed.

"I don't care about that! Shego, come get this map from this insolent wench!" Drakken ordered.

Another long, complaining groan escaped the woman, but she complied to the point of getting up. Kim tensed a bit as she felt a charge race through her just from the woman's stance. Her aura screamed power and her stance was that of someone used to being in complete control. Even the way her emerald green jacket hung off of her seemed strong. And when Kim locked eyes with her—green on green—the rest of the world seemed to disappear in between.

Shego strode over to Kim like she owned the universe, but had no use for it. Her flowing black hair hung behind her in gentle waves like a calm, obsidian ocean, hiding thick golden earrings. Her boots did not dare to make a sound as she moved. Her black pants did not seem to sway with her as she moved either.

"What have we here?" Shego inquired, her voice mocking as well as the glint in her eyes. She was arrogant, but got a cocky grin from Kim in return for her attitude.

"Just a girl trying to have lunch," Kim replied, wondering why Shego had green skin. She considered that there might be something wrong with Drakken and his crew that was manifesting itself through their skin tone.

"Then gimme the map and you can get back to your lunch," Shego pointed out with a half-smirk on her face.

"Why should I give you something that's mine? Especially when you're obviously not strong enough to take it," Kim riposted.

Shego growled, quite insulted. "You must not know who you're dealing with, kid. Maybe if I enlighten you, you'll stop trying to gnaw your foot off."

"I don't think I'm the one who's putting her foot in her mouth. You might be trying to bite off more than you can chew. I will choke you," Kim promised.

"So sure of yourself? Don't you know I'm the Dragon of the Sea?" Shego asked. Honestly, she knew most people did not call her that, but she preferred that name to the many others that she had been given against her will.

"Never heard of you, _or_ your two-bit outfit," Kim replied.

Shego growled again, obviously not liking that her infamy was not as widespread as she thought. Drakken chimed in before she could completely lose her temper, though. "Shego, will you just get the map already! Forget the intros!" he huffed.

"You're the boss." Shego shrugged.

The green-skinned woman attacked suddenly, thinking that she would catch Kim off guard. The redhead was faster than she looked and dropped into her defensive stance easily. She sidestepped the attempt to punch her face into the back of her skull and countered with a kick, which Shego blocked. The fight was officially on and no one had ever seen anything like it.

Due to their long hair, Kim and Shego looked like a swirl of black and red as they moved around each other in a violent dance. The blur of movement and sound went faster than anyone had ever seen. Kim seemed to be winning, tagging Shego with several kicks while the older woman could not seem to lay a finger on Kim.

And then Kim got a taste of how Shego got the name "dragon." Sharp nails tore across Kim's cheek, cutting the skin easily, revealing her blood was just as red as any other humans, which empowered Shego. For a moment there, it seemed like she was fighting some sort of specter or demon.

"What sort of trick…" Kim muttered as she felt her warm blood oozing down her face.

"No trick. I told you, I'm a dragon," Shego remarked with a pompous grin.

Kim chuckled a bit, not wanting to reveal the nickname that she earned from hanging out with Betty Blackheart. It was not really a name that she was proud of, like Shego seemed to be with "Dragon of the Sea."

"Then I guess I'll just have to be Saint George," Kim quipped, smiling again.

The two women went at each other again, taking things up a notch from what everyone could tell. The match did not seem as one-sided as it did the first round. The tavern suffered more from their battle than they did as they worked hard trying to just touch each other. Hands and feet went through wood as if it was not even there. Whenever they came close to anyone else, the customers all backed away a respectable distance to avoid getting accidentally injured. Everyone was sure that a touch from just one of the women would probably fatally injure a regular human being.

_I wonder why I haven't heard of her. She's pretty good_, Kim thought as she put her forearms up to block a hit from her opponent. As soon as she finished that, she found out how good because Shego came back at her with a forceful kick that sent her flying back. She crashed into table and quickly rolled out of the way as Shego tried to come down on her with a double-fisted punch.

The redhead jumped to her feet as Shego was turning to figure out where she was. All Shego saw was a mass of red hair flying at her. Kim tackled the older woman with such force that they both crashed through the window behind them. The crash did not even seem to slow them down. Shego was on her feet as soon as the audience ran to the window to see what was going on.

Kim preformed a roundhouse kick that knocked the scowling Shego back. Kim saw a chance and went after Shego with a combination of kicks. Shego's secret weapon was the only thing that stopped her—the green-skinned woman's hands ignited with jade energy that blazed like the purest fire. Kim leaped back to avoid having her stomach cut open…or maybe seared; she was not sure what would happen to her with this new power.

"Don't back away now. We're just getting started," Shego declared with a smile.

"I wouldn't dream of backing away," Kim replied.

The audience could not believe that the two women were smiling at each other as they went at it again. They seemed to be moving faster than before, appearing almost as blurs to everybody watching. The action only slowed down if one of them landed a hit. Grunts and growls came from the mix, but neither woman gave up much ground to the other. As the fight blazed on, everyone was ready to concede that neither of the women was human. It just was not possible.

The battle heated up until Kim grabbed a small barrel, looking to protect herself from Shego's burning hands. It was only after the hot claws cut through the wood that Kim saw the words "black powder" written across it. She did not even have time to wonder who would have left that there as Shego's hands ignited the powder and they were blown apart in opposite directions. Kim was pretty sure she heard someone scream "Navy!" before she hit the warm water of the nearby ocean and was surrounded by darkness.

* * *

Next time: find out if Kim and Shego survive being blown up and if they're caught by the Navy.

1: Pirate's necktie—yeah, an actual term that pirates used when talking about a hangman's noose.

2: Sailors of the day did believe it was bad luck to have a woman onboard. It was also bad luck to have redheads onboard.

3: Back in the 15th and 16th centuries, many sailors did not know how to swim. They would not learn how to swim because they believed that once the sea got a taste of you, it would want you back…forever.

4: Quartermaster—the captain's second-in-command with almost as much power as the captain. This officer led the boarding party when pirates went aboard prize ships. This officer also divided loot and food while also keeping order among the crew while they were on land.


	10. The Possible Crew

I don't own these characters; Disney does.

10: The Possible Crew

Kim was sitting on the pier, dripping wet and a little bruised, but smiling. She was happy to still not only have all of her vital organs, ten fingers, and ten toes, but she also still had most of her hair and eyebrows. God really looked out for her when that black powder exploded and blew her small, lightweight body over forty feet away, she figured. She went into her pocket and checked on the map. It was a little wet, but no worse for wear. It was a good thing that the map was not made of paper or she would have been in some serious trouble there.

"God must really be looking out for me," she mumbled. She took this as a sign that she truly had to find whatever this map led to no matter what. The only thing that she really lost in that blast was her boots; she was blown right out of them. She almost chuckled at the thought of her boots empty and smoking on the dock. Wiggling her toes, she decided to forget the boots. They were probably gone by now anyway, so she would have to buy new ones no matter what.

"So, what's the map to?" a newly familiar voice inquired from behind the redhead, breaking her out of her thoughts.

Kim did not bother looking up, knowing exactly who was speaking to her. Shego sat down next to her. She then gave the black-haired pirate a sidelong glance. It appeared that God had taken mercy on Shego too. Aside for some singed hair and the smell of smoke, along with sea, everything looked fine on her too.

"You made out of iron or something, kid?" Shego inquired, unable to believe her eyes that the redhead was not only alive, but well enough to brood while sitting on pier.

"Tough stuff, that's for sure. You?" Kim countered. From her recollection, Shego was actually closer to the explosion because she stuck that barrel out to block a strike. Shego should be more injured than she was…not that that said much considering her condition.

"I told you, I'm a dragon. A little explosion would never stop me," the green-skinned woman boasted with a proud smirk on her face. "So, again, where's the map to?" she asked.

Kim shrugged and ran her hand through her soaking hair. "Not sure. My Captain entrusted it to me and I'm going to find out why. Speaking of captains, where's yours?"

It was Shego's turn to shrug. She glanced over her shoulder, as if she was looking for him, knowing that he would not be there. "On his way to jail or in jail, I suspect," she answered. It was what she was led to believe anyway after asking around.

"What happened?"

Shego shrugged again and rolled her eyes before leaning back a little, resting her weight on one arm. "Hell if I know. I was getting a noon time bath at the time," she replied. In reality, she knew actually what happened thanks to some brief investigating.

There were plenty of witnesses to tell her what happened. When she and Kim hit the water after that explosion, the Navy showed up because of all of the commotion they were causing. Drakken was an easily recognized pirate and he was arrested on the spot, along with most of the crew, who were in no condition to escape thanks to Kim. Drakken was defenseless without Shego, so it was quite easy for the Navy to take him. Shego was also nowhere to be found considering the fact that her body had a lot of trouble grasping the concept of floating. She was presumed dead at the time. _Sad thing, by now the Empire should know I don't go down—not for them anyway_. Her crew, she had no clue where to start looking for them and honestly did not care. The person that she stuck around for was Drakken and he was definitely gone.

Kim nodded. "That was a good fight. You're a good fighter. You from the East?" The older woman had a somewhat Eastern look to her and her fighting style was definitely from the East. Kim had studied enough martial arts to know that much.

Shego waved the question off. "You're not bad yourself. You're the Red Devil, aren't you?"

Kim flinched at the nickname. She knew that she earned that moniker while hanging out with Betty Blackheart. It was not a name that she would ever embrace like most pirates. Hell, even Betty, who was far from malicious like her name implied, enjoyed being known as "Blackheart." Kim was never going to call herself "Red Devil."

"Kim Possible," she introduced herself, holding out her hand. Shego looked for a moment, but then reached out and grabbed the offered hand.

"Shego." There was a pause for a moment. "So, you served under Betty Blackheart, Hound of the Sea, huh? What was it like being a seadog on that ship? Or should I say sea-pup?" she remarked with a smile.

The younger woman chuckled just a bit. "Like nothing I've ever experienced before."

"And that's her map, you say?" Shego asked with interest. She had heard tales about the fortune Betty had collected over the years. She was one of the few pirates who had taken over thirty prizes. That was an amazing number of prizes with only one ship. More impressive than that was the fact that all of the prizes held large amounts of swag on it. Some pirates thought that Betty had actually taken more like fifty prizes just from the amount of riches that she probably accumulated.

Kim glanced over suspiciously. "Why?"

"I got no crew and neither do you. But, you got a map and you'll probably need a crew to find whatever goodies it leads to. I'll join up with you," Shego declared. It was in her best interest at the moment since she had nowhere else to go, no crew to return to, and Kim was probably sitting on one of the largest fortunes in pirate folklore.

"You'll join up with me?" Kim echoed. That made it sound like she was going to be a pirate captain with a crew of one.

"Yeah, I'll join up with you," Shego repeated, wondering if she did the girl some kind of brain damage in their earlier battle.

"I don't have a ship," the redhead pointed out.

The plasma-wielder looked at Kim as if asking if she was serious. The expression in those olive eyes answered that one. Kim was an odd pirate, Shego decided.

"We'll get one," Shego simply said, shrugging a little to show that it would not be a problem.

"Yours?" Kim asked in a pressing matter, as if forcing it would make it true.

"We'll get one. Let's go," Shego said with an amused smile. After all, the pier was full of suitable ships.

The green-hued pale woman marched off before Kim could argue any further. The younger woman hopped up and trotted off after Shego. She strolled next to Shego, only now noticing that the woman was taller than she was. She was surprised that she had not noticed that when they fought, but the height did not seem to give Shego much of an advantage there. Of course, she took into account that she was barefoot now. Shego was still wearing her heeled boots. Being barefoot also made it slightly difficult for Kim to keep in step with the older woman, but she made sure to stay with her.

Shego scanned the dock, trying to pick out the perfect ship, one that she would not be ashamed of being seen on. From what she could tell, it was going to be a long walk. All the sloops were too small, as if they were nothing more than dingy dinghies. Most of the brigantines looked ready to sink to the depths of the sea for a proper burial. The port was so small and worthless—in her opinion—since there were no ships bigger than the two-mast brigs. Unless of course she wanted to steal a Navy vessel, but something told her that Kim might not be quite so open to that idea. Not to mention it would get the Navy after them a lot sooner than they needed.

"Hmm…this one looks good," Shego muttered as she came to a halt in front of what she thought was a worthy vessel. She cringed when she saw the name, but she felt like it was a good ship. Plus, it was empty from what she could tell. They would have to board it to find out if it was as empty as it looked.

"The Flying Monkey?" Kim read the name on the hull and then glanced over at her new crewmate. The name alone told her that this was not Shego's ship, but she did not want to ask questions. Maybe she could convince herself that this was Shego's vessel if she just did not have any other information to go by. Besides, it was not like she had never stole anything in her life.

Shego shrugged. "We can always change the name of the ship."

"Isn't that bad luck?" Kim asked.

"Are you really that superstitious? Can't be too much since we all know most sailors think it's bad luck to have a woman onboard, as well as a redhead. So, how the hell you ever got on a ship is an amazement in itself and since you're still alive, I doubt you're much bad luck," Shego reasoned. Besides, there was no way in Hell she was going to sail around on "The Flying Monkey."

"I can't be that good of luck. I'm sure you heard what happened to my Captain," Kim countered.

Shego rolled her eyes. "Blackheart had a good run. Most of the Empire was looking for her just for the bounty on her head. Forget about all of the prizes that she took. They were gonna catch up with her eventually. Now, I think the two of us can run this thing with no problem."

Kim nodded. "Probably." At least, in the beginning she figured the two of them would be able to run the ship, but eventually they were going to need more people.

"Then let's get to it," Shego declared.

The redhead did not object or protest, even though it was clear from the look on her face that she did not approve of what they were doing. Kim was going along with it because she did need a ship if she was going to follow the map. She would not be able to get a ride everywhere, especially if she needed to get to some place difficult. Making matters worse were the superstitions that sailors carried about women and, as Shego pointed out, redheads. _Who the hell came up with the idea that redheads were bad luck anyway?! _

Shego could sort of understand the idea of redheads being bad luck, considering thanks to Kim, she had lost her crew, Captain, and ship. But, she had also gained a ship, a crewmate that was obviously more capable than her entire last crew combined, and a map to a likely fortune that would last her for way more than a few lifetimes. Weighing the scales, she thought that she might have hit the jackpot with Kim.

They scurried up onto the ship and noticed that there were no signs of life around. They took that to mean the ship was empty, so they went about the business of taking it. They managed to cast off with just the two of them. Shego took care of any problems that port authorities might have had with them taking a ship while Kim explored around for a moment, wanting to a much more thorough check than their swift scan. Coming to the captain's quarters and finding a pile of gold crowns with other coins and gems, she could guess just what type of ship she and Shego had casually floated away with. It made her feel a bit better knowing that they had taken a pirate ship.

Glancing around the room, just from the few pieces of clothing that were around confirmed for Kim that this was not Shego's ship or even her captain's vessel. The garments were a mix of the Empire's style of dress and some clothing from the East. The blend caused her forehead to wrinkle in confusion. She wondered who this ship once belonged to.

Going through a few items left out on the desk at the back of the room, Kim was pretty sure that they were on a pirate ship. There was a ledger out that seemed to hold records of a few prizes taken and the amount of swag, but it did not make much sense to Kim. Some of the amounts just did not seem to be in monetary form. It was written in a code, but the code was easy to figure out. Still, things did not add up.

"A slaver? But, this is too small for a slave ship," Kim mumbled. If it was a slave ship, she was happy that they took it now. Maybe it would slow the slaver down and save a few people the humiliation of becoming something less than human.

Deciding that she had been below deck long enough, Kim returned to the top deck to check on Shego. The pale woman was at the helm and they were moving into open waters. Kim marched over to Shego and looked out into the sea.

"This seemed almost too easy," Kim commented.

"You just have to know how to get by the lazy-ass officials. A crown here or there never hurts," Shego replied with a shrug.

"Do you know who's ship this is?" Kim asked curiously.

"It's ours now."

"I think it was a slaver's. There's some records in the captain's quarters that looked suspicious. I don't think he was dealing in slaves legally either because he had it all written in code," Kim explained.

Shego sneered. "Then we couldn't have robbed a better retched cur. Nothing worse then a skin-dealer that can't even deal skin in an Empire that allows it."

The redhead agreed with Shego in that sense. She hoped that by taking the ship, they had stopped, or at least slowed, the slaver's trade in flesh. How pathetic would the slaver have to be to actually have to deal slaves outside of the law when the Empire allowed it? She could not even imagine the horrors his captives had to go through if they were being traded illegally.

"So, keeper of the map, where we headed?" Shego inquired curiously.

"We need to get to the Middleton colonies. The map starts there," Kim answered.

The pale woman nodded. "Easy enough," she stated. "So, until we get there, how did you happen to escape the Naval round up that hit Blackheart and the Global Justice crew?" she asked curiously. She had heard about that particular harsh incident. Naval sailors had been bragging about it as if they had slain the devil himself.

Kim frowned and turned her eyes toward the deck. She did not want to talk about that particular day. Hell, she did not even want to think about it anymore, so she kept her mouth shut.

"Your reputation for fighting and fighting ability is enough for sailors to tell fish tales about, so I doubt you deserted, but I guess anything is possible," Shego casually remarked.

Kim's face burned bright from anger. "I didn't desert! I didn't want to leave them! They forced this map on me and pushed me away, threatening to kill me if I didn't leave! Anything is possible for a Possible! I could've helped them, but they wouldn't let me!" she hollered at the top of her lungs, roaring over the waves. She threw her hands up to the sky, as if imploring the gods to give her redemption for leaving her Captain and crew, her friends, and her sea-family.

Shego blinked. "Anything's possible for a Possible?" she muttered, unable to figure out what else to say about the outburst.

"Family creed," the younger woman mumbled, turning away to regain her composure. She took a few deep breaths to help calm herself down.

Shego nodded. "Interesting…" she did not know what else to say about it. She hated to think that the petite redhead was so fascinating. The last time she found someone fascinating, she ended up pirating with the laughing stock of the seven seas…although he paid well. And he might have been an idiot, but he was _her_ idiot. So, far, she was not sure what to make of this Kim Possible.

The conversation was interrupted as they both heard an odd noise over the rumble of the sea. Their bodies tensed at the same time, letting them each know that the other noticed the noise. They did not say anything, but they were both impressed with how alert the other was. They had never met someone like the other. Even with Betty, Kim did not feel almost instant rapport due to natural ability.

"Sounds like footsteps," Kim said.

"You've got ears like a cat, but obviously eyes like a blind man. I thought you searched the ship," Shego pointed out.

"Not all of it. I checked a few cabins, but nothing more. I didn't have the time. I couldn't leave you to just sail off into the sunset, right?" Kim pointed out.

Shego could not really argue that, but that never stopped her from arguing anything. "A few minutes wouldn't have killed either of us."

"Yeah, and unless their coming up here with the Imperial Navy, I don't think the owner of the footsteps will be killing us either," Kim countered.

And Shego found herself without a retort. Part of her disliked not having a comeback while another part of her was impressed that Kim could render her speechless; she would never admit to either of those things. She started to think that she might have picked the right captain for once in her life.

"Hey, what's going on up here? I didn't think we were leaving for another couple of days!" a youthful male voice called, obviously thinking that his crew had returned. "And where is everybody else? It's deader than Davy Jones' locker below deck!"

Shego rolled her eyes. "Well, whoever it is, I can guess he's not the sharpest cutlass onboard."

Kim agreed with that. She barely got into a defensive stance for when whoever it was finally wandered up to the poop deck. It did not take long for a little blond head to pop up from the stairs followed by a cream-colored face sprinkled with freckles and innocent brown eyes. Kim dropped the stance for something more casual before the young man even completely made it up to them.

"Hey—whoa!" the blond yelped as soon as he noticed the women were definitely not the usual helmsman and captain. "Who are you?" he inquired.

Shego only spared him a glance. He was a lanky kid; she was willing to bet that he and Kim were around the same age. He did not look much like a pirate…just like Kim. The fact that it looked like he had a naked, tail-less rat hanging on his shoulder only made him look stranger; it did not even give him a menacing appearance like it might have done for another man. She rolled her eyes and shook her head. She was surrounded by people that would never be taken seriously.

"I'm Kim Possible and that's my…uh…friend Shego," Kim introduced them. "Who are you?"

"Ron Stoppable. I run the gallery on the ship. Uh, why are you guys here and where's the rest of the crew?" he inquired curiously, glancing between the two women.

"Uh…we sort of borrowed the ship. We need it for a quest," the redhead explained as best she could without sounding like a thief.

"Borrowed the ship?" Ron glanced between the women again. "Are you two nuts?! Don't you know this ship belongs to Lord Monty Fiske…I mean, Monkey Fist?" he hollered. He used the proper name first because he used it whenever he was making fun of his captain alone, but he automatically corrected himself to his captain's preferred name in the presence of other people. The last thing he wanted was for Monkey Fist to find out that he referred to him by a name he did not like. That could mean a terrible, terrible punishment.

"Name sounds familiar…" Kim said.

"Crazy noble from the Capitol. He set sail a few years ago. He was a privateer, but disgraced himself while out to sea doing something I don't wanna think about. I figure it had to be horrifying from the way people whisper about it," Shego chimed in.

"Sounds like a real gem. Was he involved in slaving?" Kim asked.

"Among other things. The man is dark, I hear," Shego replied.

"Dark isn't the right word. That man is tar," Ron remarked and the bald rat on his shoulder nodded in agreement along with letting out a sound that seemed suspiciously like "creepy."

"Uh…did the rodent just talk?" the pale woman inquired with an arched eyebrow. She really hoped that she was not losing it at such a young age.

"Huh?" Ron then turned to his companion. "Oh, this is my best friend, Rufus. I got him on a trip to Africa a few years back."

"So, you've been with Lord Fiske for years then?" Kim asked.

Ron nodded sadly. "Some of the worst of my life. I don't care that you guys are stealing the ship, as long as you take me with you. Sure, Monkey Fist might catch up with us one day, but that's better than being with him right now or having him find me somewhere else. I'm a very good cook. I can guarantee that," he proposed with a smile.

Shego was about to object, but Kim spoke up first. "Sounds good. I can't cook anyway, so we'll probably need a cook. You're hired!" she declared with a smile.

Ron grinned in return. "Great! I'll get started on the best supper you could ever have!" he promised. This was the best day he had had in years. _I only wish…_ He shook that thought off. He would not give up on that wish, but he was going to appreciate his freedom for the moment and see what these bold ladies were going to do.

The blond young man disappeared below deck. Shego turned her attention to Kim, who was looking out at the ocean. There was a silence between them for a moment.

"Do you think that was wise?" Shego inquired.

"He was sincere. I could see it in his eyes. Besides, we need a cook. I can barely boil water. Even if you can cook, you've got the helm, so it's not like you can tend to pots and steer," Kim pointed out.

Shego nodded. "Fine, but next time don't just accept a crewmember on your own. We're pirates, remember? Fair vote and all."

"Oh, right. Sorry," the younger woman apologized. "You're right about that. So, do you need me to chart the course for Middleton?"

"You a navigator?" Shego asked, a little surprised. She had heard quite about the "Red Devil," but never heard anything about her being a navigator.

"I have training. You keep with the helm. I'll get us on course. And hopefully Ron will have us fed with something that at least resembles food," Kim remarked.

"I hope his bald friend doesn't go anywhere near the pot," the plasma-wielder grumbled.

Kim laughed a little, but she agreed with that hope. Things turned out to work out well for the trio, though. Kim was able to easily get them on course for Middleton and Shego had no problem steering the ship in that direction. Ron brought up stew for supper, which the ladies found to be exquisite. For the moment, things were fine between the new friends.

* * *

Next time: the Possible crew grows twice as large with the addition of Monique, Bonnie, and Wade.


	11. A Possible Company

I don't own these characters; Disney does.

11: A Possible Company

"Oh, god, will you both just shut up and someone check the fucking sail! One of them sounds loose!" Shego hollered at Kim and Ron. The two had been chatting since sun up and getting on Shego's nerves. _You'd think they've known each other forever! _Honestly, she had never in her life seen two people get along so easily, so quickly.

"She's cranky," Ron commented. He and Kim were standing on the deck, leaving Shego on the poop deck alone because of her attitude. They thought that would be enough to calm her down, but obviously not.

"Just like yesterday," Kim pointed out.

"And the day before that," the blond added.

They both figured that if they did not hit land soon, Shego was going to go stir crazy and they doubted that it would be a pretty sight. She was not coping as well as Kim and Ron, who were immediate friends. They found out that they were both the same age and had plenty to share with each other. Kim told Ron about things happening in the Capitol since it had been years since he had been back to the mother country. He shared tales of places around the world he had seen since being shanghaied by Lord Fiske.

"Shego, we can't do everything while you stay behind the helm," Kim pointed out. She was making sure they stayed on course while also trying to decipher the map. She had just been up the ratlines moments before to check their course and the sail seemed fine while she was up there.

"I guess this would be a bad time to point out that some of the boards below deck are loose too," Ron said. Nothing seemed too bad yet, but he was sure that they would be better off fixing those boards before they got any worse.

"What? Did we really grab the one ship falling apart and probably wanted by half the Imperial Navy?" Shego huffed, rolling her eyes in disgust. _Damn the luck!_

Another sour spot between them was when Ron had filled them on how badly the Navy did want Lord Fiske. Now, they were sailing a ship that the Navy would assume held the outlaw, so they would be attacked as soon as the Navy spotted them, they figured. They were going to have to do something about that too, they all knew. Unfortunately, none of them had any ideas so far.

"You sure know how to pick 'em," Kim argued, snorting in the helmsman's direction.

"Hey, don't get smart with me, Princess!" Shego snarled.

Kim arched an eyebrow to the nickname. It was not the first time in the past couple of days that Shego had called her that and she knew it had to do with the bits of her past that she had divulged. Shego was using the name to mock her rather normal, almost aristocratic upbringing by well-to-do and well-meaning parents.

"Keep it up, Shego, and this princess will take you down just like I did back at the pier," Kim replied.

"Oh, bring it on!" Shego howled. "Besides, as I remember it, you were the one cowering behind a barrel of black powder trying to kill us both!"

"Uh…" Ron gingerly raised his hand, already learning that it was a dangerous thing to get in the middle of an argument between the two women. "If I may, if you two start fighting, who's gonna steer and who's gonna make sure we're going the right way?" he inquired curiously.

The question easily settled the matter—no fighting at the moment. After only a couple of days together, it was pretty clear to them all that being a crew of three was not going to work. It was not just because of Shego's rotten attitude, but because there was a lot more to do on a ship than Kim and Shego thought about when they first hijacked the brig. Neither of them said so out loud, but they readily admitted to themselves that it was a bit silly for them to think that they could do it alone. Hell, they would have starved to death if Ron was not aboard and they had lucked out with getting him!

"Ladies, I might not know where we're going, but I think we're gonna need more than us to just get there," Ron pointed out, saying what he was learning the two women would not say. He was already able to figure out that they were not going to admit to fault to each other. He had seen the behavior between men plenty of times, but never between two women. They were odd ladies, but at least Kim was very affable. He liked her a lot.

"No, no, no. The three of us are just fine," Shego argued. More crew meant more shares and, sure, she figured there was more than enough to go around, but she wanted as much as she could get. It was one of her many failings that she looked at as a good thing.

"I think Ron has a point, Shego. There's no way we'll be able to run a successful ship between the three of us. What if we get attacked by the Navy? Two people on the guns? I don't think that works. I've looked at these guns. It probably took four to six people to work one. If the boards are falling apart too, none of us have experience in repairing that, unless there are talents you have that you haven't shared yet," Kim stated in a calm tone.

"Why don't you just invite all of the colonies to go with us then!" Shego threw her hands up in complaint.

"Shego, are you always this difficult?" the redhead inquired. She was hoping that Shego was really just cranky from being on a new ship around new people and soon the attitude would pass. It was starting to look like she was hoping for too much.

"Yes!" was the honest answer.

"I don't see how Drakken put up with you without shooting you out of a gun then," Ron remarked, earning a glare from the temporary helmsman. He flinched, seeing just from the glint in her eyes why she was known as a Fury. Yes, he had heard of her through gossip by some of the sailors on his ship. He had also heard a little about Kim and he could not understand how she earned a moniker like "Red Devil." He was not going to ask right now, but maybe later, when Shego was not around.

"You keep it up and I'll shoot you out of a gun!" Shego informed him. From what he had seen of her attitude, he figured that she was making a promise, not a threat.

"She's got the disposition of a sea serpent," Ron whispered to Rufus, who was on his shoulder. The rodent nodded in agreement.

"Don't think your little bald rat won't follow you out that gun either!" the pale woman added.

Kim knew that she needed to step in because Shego liked to argue. She would drag them on for as long as possible with both Ron and Kim. She was starting to suspect that Shego objected to certain things just for the argument.

"Okay, how about this: we vote on it," Kim proposed. This was not something that Shego could protest to. They were a pirate crew, after all, and pirate crews voted on things.

"Vote?" Shego echoed.

"Yes, vote. All in favor of getting a few more crewmembers, say aye," Kim said.

She and Ron both raised their hands while simultaneously saying, "Aye."

"All opposed…?" Kim said.

"Nay!" Shego huffed.

"The ayes have it. We'll pick up a few more crewmembers. When we get to Middleton, we'll look for people that might want to join up in the Company. And if we're going to be a Company, we'll need for them to have a code to agree to," Kim realized.

"Are we a Company?" Ron asked. He had not really thought of them like that, but it was mostly because there were just three of them—four if Rufus was counted, which he liked to be.

"Yes, we're a Company!" Kim declared with a grin. She could not believe that she was so enthused about this. But she wanted to write up the Articles of Agreement and have a crew of people, like Betty had had. A crew of people that had nowhere else to go and could depend on her to help them better their lives, seek freedom, and live better than what land had to offer…without killing people.

"Company Possible?" Ron wondered aloud. Kim seemed like the captain. She was the one with the map and knew where they were going. Yes, he knew about the map. Kim did not seem to consider it secret, although Shego had almost bust a gut when Kim just casually revealed the map to him.

"Sounds good! Shego, keep this course! I'll be back in about an hour!" the redhead declared, marching off into the captain's quarters. She and Shego had been sharing it for the past couple of days. Shego did not seem so willing to acknowledge her as captain anymore when she started arguing over the room their first night aboard. Kim let Shego have it, mostly because she took the night watch and would not be in the room anyway.

As soon as Kim was gone, Ron decided to make himself scarce, going back to the galley. Shego stared off at the horizon as she manned the wheel. She hated to think it, but she felt a little lonely without Kim and Ron buzzing around deck. She was not used to the feeling, but then again, she was not used to being around people that seemed to have half-a-brain either. Although with Ron, she thought that the rat might be the one with the brain. He certainly was as useless as all of the other men that she had sailed with, but Kim was something else.

"I shouldn't expect anything less from a woman that sailed with Blackheart," Shego muttered, remembering the female Captain's fierce reputation and the reputation of her whole Company.

Shego figured the Navy must be full of itself right now. They took down one of the most feared pirate companies when they finally caught up to the _Global Justice_, and then they captured Drakken. Sure, he was not as worrisome as Betty Blackheart, but he was still famous enough for the Navy to make it seem like they were controlling the pirate situation in the colonies. Honestly, she thought that the Navy was full of itself and the Empire was too. One of the reasons she liked being a pirate was just to stick it to both of those entities.

The more alone time that she had, the more Shego thought on things. This was her first time being a helmsman. She never did much on Drakken's ship when they were not after a prize. Most of the crew was scared of her and would not dare ask anything of her. Sometimes, Drakken could screw up his courage and request that she do a job of some kind. She tended to respond with violence, which kept the crew away even more. It never did stop Drakken, though, she realized. She chuckled a bit, recalling his persistence in pestering her.

She figured that she was going to have to do a lot more on this ship than with Drakken, even after they pick up more crewmembers. For some reason, it did not annoy her as much as it would have if she had to do it on Drakken's ship. She figured it was the promise of money—lots of money—that made her feel that way.

"Hey, you want me to take over?" Kim asked, climbing the stairs and taking Shego from her thoughts.

"Huh? Why?" Shego looked around, not realizing that night had settled in.

"I just figured you'd be tired and you might want some supper. Ron made some more stew. We should hit Middleton in the morning, which is good because Ron needs to buy supplies for the galley," Kim explained.

"Can we afford that?" Shego asked.

"Lord Fiske had a pile of crowns and jewels in his room, so we should be all right with that."

"Will his crowns be enough for us to make this journey?" the older woman inquired.

Kim shook her head. "I doubt it, but we'll see. The hold has some money, too. I'm guessing we got these guys right after they took a prize and were off to spend their shares. Shego, I'm going to tell you right now, I'm not the type of pirate that takes any prize and kills any sailor to do it."

"I figured that when you were blabbing on with the cook. You sound like a square kid, Princess. Makes me wonder how you got into this, but I've seen your wanted poster, so I know the answer to that," Shego remarked.

Kim frowned and glared at the taller woman. "Look, when we get to Middleton, I want to go to an auction. I was hoping you'd come with me."

"An auction?" Shego echoed. She knew what type of auctions they had in Middleton. "I didn't think you supported that kinda thing, Princess."

"I don't. That's the point. Being out on the sea, being a pirate, that's better than anything else…right?"

Shego smiled. "You're right about that, Princess. But, here's the thing, when you don't agree with something, you shouldn't support it, especially when you're a pirate."

"What do you mean?"

Shego chuckled a bit. "You come with me to the auction and you'll see what I mean. You let me handle this one," Shego declared. She realized that she was about to have some fun and this made her happy to have partnered up with Kim.

Kim decided against arguing, even though she knew deep down what Shego was going to do. She had no clue how Shego would be able to do it; in her mind, it seemed a bit tricky. But, if the pale woman was going to do what she thought, she had no problem with that. After months of taking prizes from people she was not too sure deserved it, taking something that she honestly believed could not belong to another human being anyway sounded right nice to her.

Docking in Middleton came the following morning. Shego was a bit impressed with Kim's ability to get them there in three days. She knew that when traveling with Drakken's crew, it usually took them a week to get to Middleton from their last port. Honestly, it should only take three days, but Drakken was an idiot on some matters. Navigation being one of them.

"Okay, Ron, you need to be back on the ship with your supplies in an hour," Kim warned.

"One hour?" Ron inquired in a baffled tone. He wondered why he was being given such a short time frame on getting what they needed. He hoped it did not mean that Kim was actually as tyrannical as Monkey Fist used to be.

"Kim, you're telling the wrong guy," Shego commented and then turned her attention to Rufus. "Listen, rat, make sure this blond buffoon is back here in an hour. No more than an hour," she ordered.

Rufus stood up on his shoulder and saluted to show that he understood. Shego rolled her eyes; this venture was getting stranger and stranger by the second. Never before did she ever think that she could be conversing with a naked mole rat. Shaking that away, she turned her attention to Kim.

"Ready to do this?" Shego inquired with a smirk, rubbing her hands together.

"Sure, but I want to modify things a little if I can," Kim replied. Ron slipped away since he figured that they had plans to speak on while he had supplies to buy and not a lot of time to do it. He did hope that the plans were the reason he only had an hour and not because Kim was really some crazy control freak and it only came out on land.

"What do you want to do then?" the ebony-haired woman asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Get them all out of there," the younger woman stated with conviction.

"Princess, your ideals are gonna get us killed before we ever start this little adventure. I don't agree with it either, but I don't think we need to go overboard."

Kim shook her head. "It wouldn't be fair. We have to do what we can for them all. I liked to think that together, you and I can take a few guards or whoever might be there."

"You ready to take on Navy and probably some of the Imperial Army too? They station them inland, you know," Shego said.

"I do know. Hey, if we're going to be pirates, shouldn't we build up a little infamy?" Kim remarked with a confident smile.

Shego could not and did not want to argue that. Being known was something that she thoroughly enjoyed. It would be quite the way to break into the pirate world on their own. Not many pirates pissed off both the Navy and Army in one bold action. It was worth it.

"Fine. We'll do that, but two things," Shego conceded.

"What two things?" Kim asked curiously, raising an eyebrow in suspicion.

"Wait until I find people who would be good for the crew and get them to agree to it before you do anything crazy and act as a distraction after I do something crazy," Shego explained.

"Distraction?" Kim echoed as if she was totally offended. She was not anybody's distraction!

"Yes, distraction. Do you want this to work or what?"

Kim sighed. "Fine. I'll be a distraction."

"You don't have to be one for long. It's just that it'll probably be a lot there and I'll need time find crewmembers in the lot," Shego found herself explaining, not sure why she added that piece in. Maybe it was just because she needed the redhead's cooperation.

The two women were off after that. They had both agreed to dress subtly, which was more something that Shego had to do than Kim. Kim had never gotten into the typical pirate's flamboyant manner of dressing(1), so she just made it a point to dress in a way that did not get her any overly suspicious looks. But she did want some attention, so that no one would look at Shego when she got to work.

Shego, on the other hand, tended to dress just a little loudly when given the chance. She loved her greens, especially bright ones, but went for a more laidback dark green today. Not wearing any of the jewelry that she usually would on land, she even left behind her tri-corner hat because it was not something that a proper woman would wear. The only thing that she knew would get a few looks for her and Kim was the fact that they were both wearing pants. They did not have any dresses and neither suggested going to buy some to try to fit in.

The walk from the dock to the auction house was done in silence. They pretty much knew just what they wanted to do and somehow they knew that the other would fall right into line without talking it over. It was not something that was very complex either.

Walking inside, they both looked around and they both frowned. It was full of clearly well-to-do people, sitting around, waiting to buy the goods that were to be put on the auction block. Shego rolled her eyes and sneered.

"Disgusting," the older fighter grumbled.

"That's why I said we should get them all," Kim replied.

"They're not all going to join the Company. We don't need that many. A couple should be good. The others are gonna hafta fend for themselves," Shego stated. Internally, she agreed with Kim. It would be good to get them all and stick to the filthy Empire while they were at it.

"Better chance then them just staying here ready to be sold."

"Okay, remember: don't do anything crazy until after I've done something crazy."

Kim nodded to show that she understood. They stuck close together, looking around at not just the people, but the building itself. There was the one entrance that they and they suspected all of the customers came in, but they wanted to see if there was another one. Kim spotted it first, by the merchandise.

"Shego, by the holding pen, there's a doorway. That's probably where they bring everyone in," Kim pointed out, faintly nodding toward the doorway.

"We'll go out that way then. You're gonna have to go out first and clear a path. I know there's going to be guards out there. Either the Navy or Army. They'll probably shoot first and ask questions later too, so be careful or give me the map before you go get shot," Shego quipped.

"The map wouldn't do you any good without me anyway, so I guess I'll just have to not get shot," Kim pointed out. She was not lying either. Shego would not be able to do anything with the map without her, especially since she had figured out the code and she knew Vivian pretty well, so she knew how the blonde navigator thought.

"Make sure you don't then. Now, let's go check out the 'merchandise' and see if we can spot a pair to take with us," Shego said.

Kim nodded in agreement. Before they even got over to the pen, Shego knew exactly who she wanted. She could not see them, but she could hear them. The fire in their voices were perfect.

"I can't fucking believe you got me into this mess!" an angry voice hissed, obviously trying not to draw too much attention, but was still furious all the same.

"Me? How the hell is this my fault?" an equally low and heated voice demanded.

"You're the one that got busted teaching kids to read! I don't even understand how the hell I ended up here when it was all your fault!"

"Obviously someone had to teach me. I guess living in the Big House wasn't as protecting as you thought!"

"No, obviously, teaching you a damn thing is just as stupid as I thought 'cuz you're an idiot!"

Emerald eyes swiftly tracked down the arguing pair through the sea of bodies. A chocolate skinned young woman with dark wavy hair was growling at a tan young woman with dark, sandy brown hair. The lighter of the duo was incensed from the look on her face and barking as quietly as possible to avoid having anyone notice her, but apparently wanting her companion to know just how pissed off she was.

_They've got fire_, Shego thought. Fire and insanity; seemed like just the thing for the crew that she was working with. She turned her attention to Kim. "All right, Princess, I see who we should take. I just want to check 'em out a little more. Try to keep some attention off of me while I act like I'm inspecting them, okay?"

"No big," Kim answered.

Shego thought that was a weird thing to say, but she did not mention it. She walked over to the pen, shaking her head to see human beings being caged in like cattle. Before calling over the duo that she wanted, she turned to see what Kim was doing and saw that the redhead managed to start a conversation that seemed to be so engaging several people were involved and more were moving to join in. Shego was silently impressed by the redhead's ability to turn all of the attention onto herself.

"Hey," Shego hissed, pointing to the arguing pair. They noticed and pointed to themselves. She nodded. "Come here!" she ordered and they shook their heads. "Don't make me come in there and slap you around. Come here! Before it's too late," she commanded.

Feeling that they were already in enough trouble, considering the fact that they were about to be auctioned off to the highest bidder, they felt it might be a little safer to listen than to anger a possible master. Heaven knew they did not want to feel the sting of a whip again. They reluctantly marched over to Shego, fully expecting her to grab them and start inspecting them like horses as many other potential buyers had done during the day.

"You two look like you could use some help," Shego commented and put her hand up as the chocolate one was about to speak. "Don't say anything until you hear me out. Me and my partner need a little help on our ship. If you agree to help us, we'll get you out of here," she explained.

"How?" the wavy-haired girl demanded.

"Just trust me right now. Would you rather be free on a boat or picking pears for some bastard?" Shego pointed out. It seemed like an easy choice, so she was little upset when they actually had to mull it over, taking a few seconds to look at each other.

"You really expect us to believe that crap?" the tan girl asked.

"Hey, it's a take it or leave it deal. I don't have time to talk over details. Yes or no, quick," Shego stated.

The young woman looked at each other again before simultaneously turning back to Shego and nodding. The pirate smiled. She checked on Kim again, noting that the redhead still had everyone's attention and a much larger audience then before.

"You got chains on?" Shego asked, even though she knew the answer to that. They held out their hands and she quickly made short work of their shackles, gliding a glowing finger down the iron manacles.

"How…how did…?" the wavy-haired girl tried to ask.

"Never mind that. Hold up the other hand, quick," Shego ordered.

They did as they were told and Shego freed their hands from their bonds. She then told them to direct the others to her, so that she could free their hands too. They did as they were told, wanting to see what else this obvious demon-woman could do and how she planned to get them out of there since it seemed clear that she was not about to buy them. Cutting through over two-dozen iron cuffs in a little over a minute had to be record, Shego thought.

Once that was done, Shego checked on Kim again. All eyes were still on the redhead. _That much be some speech! Or maybe she's just flashing them or something_. Shego really did not give a damn what Kim was doing as long as everyone was still paying attention to her. With that out of the way, Shego turned back to the pen and easily leaped over the railing.

"What are you doing?" the tan girl inquired.

"I figure the back way out of here is locked, so I'm going to unlock it. When I do that, you two follow a redhead dressed like me. She's about your age, easy to spot. You fuck us over in this and we'll leave you guys to get sold to the highest-paying asshole," Shego informed them.

The duo nodded. Shego went to the back and saw that it was being blocked by a metal gate. Charging her hands, her fingers cut through the gate like nothing. Now, she figured it was time for a loud signal to let Kim know it was time to go and something to take attention from them as they made their getaway. Putting her hands together and building up power, she made a large plasma ball and flung it at the ceiling. There was an explosion on impact, debris flying everywhere, people screaming, and dust covering the room.

"I get the feeling Shego wants my attention," Kim muttered to herself, charging over to the pen and being met by Shego.

"The two I got know to follow you. I'm going to block the exit and cover the rear," Shego informed the redhead.

"Good," Kim agreed and easily hopped the gate into the slave pen.

The redhead pushed her way to the front of the mass exit through the back way. She was met by some guards, who were trying to hold back the escaping slaves. Wasting no time, Kim went to work on the guards and kept the escape moving. They were barely away from the auction house when Kim noted there were flames coming from the building. She knew that Shego started a fire, but she did not care. She hoped that horrible place burned to the ground. Human beings should not be selling other human beings.

Kim had no problem figuring out the two that Shego picked for the crew. They followed her as she shook guards from their tails and made her way back to the ship. While most of the newly freed slaves started spreading from the crowd, those two made sure to stay with Kim. By the time they made it back to the ship, Shego was right with them. Kim and Shego wasted no time casting off, hoping that Ron heeded their warning about being back in an hour.

"Guys, why does it seem like we're leaving already?" Ron asked as he came above deck. He immediately took notice of the two new ladies. "And who are they? Aside from very good looking, might I say." He wiggled his eyes and the tan female rolled her eyes in disgust while the other giggled.

"Not a chance, blondie," the more hostile of the two commented.

"These are our newest crewmates," Kim motioned to the now former slaves.

"Hi, ladies," Ron greeted them with what he wanted to be suave grin and wave. More eye-rolling and giggling was their response. He did not seem bothered by that. "Uh…if we're leaving, they're not the only new crewmembers," he informed them.

"Who else?" Kim asked curiously and suddenly a brown-skinned boy came above deck to.

Ron laughed. "Uh…him. He was helping me put away supplies, but it seems like he won't be going back to the market now."

"Hell no he won't," Shego remarked.

Kim let out a laugh. "Well, our crew just doubled in size. Everybody, welcome to Company Possible," she announced. If there were crickets out at sea, they would have been chirping at that point. But, Kim smiled. She was certain that the crew would warm up to each other.

* * *

Next time: The crew gets along about as well starving, angry dogs locked in a tiny cell together. It gets to the point where Kim and Shego have a rematch.

1: Pirates were known to wear flamboyant, elaborate clothing when on shore.


	12. A pirate's life

I don't own these characters; Disney does.

12: A pirate's life

The new Company Possible, a crew of six pirates, all stared at each other. It was like they did not know what to make of each other. Shego was at the helm, but she was watching the other five pirates on deck and every now and then someone would glance up at her too. They were fleeing the Middleton port posthaste after Kim and Shego just orchestrated a simple, but rather successful slave break, also managing to drag a couple along with them.

"So, Ron, who's this?" Kim inquired, turning to the new crewmember that was with them by accident. He was a young man who appeared to be in his early teens that had been helping Ron and was now stuck with them.

"I'm Wade," the young man introduced himself.

Kim put her hand out for him without hesitation. Wade was a bit taken aback by such bold behavior, but he did shake her hand. The other two new crewmembers were also stunned Kim's forward behavior.

"Kim Possible. I suppose I'm the Captain around here. Sorry that we dragged you into this," she sincerely apologized.

"It's quite all right. The store owner bought me from the auction…" Wade sort of explained. Basically, they were not taking him from paradise on Earth or anything, so he did not mind.

"Well, there's none of that on this ship. We're all equal and free on the sea. That's one of the first lessons I learned on the ocean," the redhead stated with a broad smile. It was one the first things that she totally agreed with about being a pirate too.

Wade smiled back. "Sounds better than being a slave for the store, then. I was nothing more than a beast of burden for him," he said, bitterness oozing from his tone and anger in his gaze.

"None of that here, but you do have to realize, we're pirates for the most part. Shego and I have already stirred up a bunch of trouble at the slave auction house," Kim said, a small amount of pride in her voice.

"But it was so much fun and we'd probably do it again if given the chance," Shego added in. Everything about it was fun, from breaking out the slaves to watching Kim kick around all of those guards. The only regret was that Kim did not leave any guards for her.

"Sounds like I got shanghaied by a good ship, then," Wade remarked with a laugh. He did not seem distressed at all from what Kim could tell, which made her quite happy since there was no way that they could return to Middleton and send him back.

"I hope it does work out for you, but if you find it's not for you, tell us. I'm not too keen on forced impressments. We'll figure something about if necessary," Kim said, and then she turned her attention to the two women. "Well, we know Wade. What about you guys?" she asked.

"I'm Monique," the chocolate-skinned woman answered.

"I'm Bonnie Rockwaller," the other female replied, sounding just a little uppity.

"No one asked for the master's name," Monique huffed, folding her arms across her chest.

"Don't be mad because you don't have a family name," Bonnie countered, rolling her eyes. This was a remark that she often made with Monique. Most of the time, it was a joke whenever she lacked a real comeback for something Monique said. Sometimes, though, she acted like it was a real accomplishment, which irked Monique even more.

"Stop trying to act all high and mighty because the master took the time to rape your mother. That's why we're in this mess, because you think you're too good for everyone else," Monique stated with some bite in her tone.

"We're in this mess because you had to go around teaching everyone who asked to read! All you had to do was keep it to yourself, but no, you think everybody in the damn cane field needs to know how!" Bonnie shouted, throwing her hands up in frustration.

Kim glanced up at Shego, who shrugged. She did not know what type of skills the two women had, but they had a lot of energy and they were feisty. That had to count for something. And as much as Shego hated to admit it, they seemed like they would fit in perfectly with the "Company." Besides, they gave off a good vibe to her. Kim would have agreed with that, if she knew.

"All right, Monique and Bonnie. You're here to be a part of the crew. Have you ever been on a ship before?" Kim asked, even though she could guess the answer to that.

"Aside for as cargo, not so much," Monique answered. It was a joke, but no one laughed because it was way too close to the truth.

"Hmm…that could be a little problem. Do you guys have any special skills?" Kim inquired. She wanted to add "besides arguing with each other," but she had a feeling that would just lead to another argument. She got enough arguing out of Shego, so she figured that she did not need it from other members of the crew.

Wade raised his hand a little. "I was apprenticed to a carpenter for most of my life. Not really stepping out of line or even making myself sound better than I am, I will say that he sold me because I was better than he was. He hated my talent, especially since I'm so young, and wanted to be rid of me, so he sold me to a venture to make sure I was never to touch another tool, ever."

"That's great! We need a carpenter," Kim declared with a smile. She noticed that Wade was very well-spoken and was willing to bet that he was well read, which probably added to the reasons why he was sold. She was quite right in that thinking.

"I'll be happy to do what I can. I've missed doing carpentry work," the young man replied with a smile of his own. He seemed very to burst at the thought of building things and doing the work that he loved. And if Kim was telling the truth and they were truly free, he figured that he could catch on his reading too. He was already imagining owning a pile of books bought with his pirate loot.

"That's great. So, we have a carpenter," the redhead said. She turned to the ladies. "What about you guys? Anything?" she asked curiously.

"Well, let's see, she's really good at getting on my nerves," Monique remarked, motioning to Bonnie.

"Oh, yeah! You're really good at getting me into horrible situations! You got me sold, for crying out loud!" Bonnie pointed out, throwing her hands out at Monique.

"You got you sold! If you haven't noticed, we didn't get sold! We're free on a ship thanks to these people, so just be happy you're not in a damn cane field or tasting the Master's whip again!" the darker woman countered, snorting through her nose at the end to punctuate her statement.

Kim decided to jump in before things got out of hand. "Uh…okay. I can teach you guys the basics about being on the ship and then we'll work on developing beyond that," she stated. She knew that she really was going to need to teach them to work the guns most of all because that was what they needed the extra crewmembers for. But, while they were learning that, it would not hurt for them to know how to run the rigs and sails, work the helm, and the hundreds of other things that made sailing go smoothly.

"Hey, I don't have to listen to you if I'm free on this ship," Bonnie proclaimed, turning her nose in the air and folding her arms across her chest in protest. She would be damned if she was going to leave one master to be commanded by another if she had already been told that she was a freewoman.

"Yes, you're free, but you're also a member of this Company and expected to pull your weight and help the ship run efficiently," the redhead said logically.

"I don't have to be a member of this Company or whatever it is either," Bonnie declared.

"Oh, for goodness sake, could you be any more of a snob? These people just risked their lives to keep us from being sold and the second they give you the precious gift of freedom you act like you're too good for them! You keep acting like this and they'll probably throw you overboard and it would be serve you right!" Monique huffed.

"I prefer pulling into the nearest harbor and selling her as fast as we can. A lot of brothels like exotic half-breeds. You said her father was white and her mother black, right?" Shego inquired with an absolutely wicked smirk. "We could probably get a pretty decent amount for Bonnie, as long as we sell her before she started talking."

"Shego!" Kim admonished the helmsman.

"You wouldn't dare!" Bonnie shrieked in horror.

"Try me. We're pirates, honey! We do things like that!" Shego pointed out.

Kim decided to go along with Shego's announcement, even though she would never allow such a thing to happen. "It's either help out on the ship, or we could just go with Shego's idea," she commented. It felt wrong to do, but she needed Bonnie's cooperation as soon as possible.

Bonnie's nose remained in the air and her light blue-green eyes showed nothing but hostility. "…I guess…I did agree to help…" she muttered.

"Good. Now, first things first, as a new Company and all, I figured we needed to start things off right. First thing we need to do—" Kim was cut off.

"Change the name of the ship!" Ron chimed in. Rufus stood up on his shoulder, nodding his agreement.

"Hey, for once, me and blondie are on the same page!" Shego laughed. They needed to change the name of the ship and fast! The last thing they needed was for it to get around that their new company was riding around on _The Flying Monkey_.

"We'll change the name of the ship later. Let's be serious here," Kim said.

"Then we're changing the jolly roger first!" Ron shouted with hope. They were not flying the flag, but if they ever ran it up, everyone would see that it was clearly a monkey head biting into a heart. Ron never wanted to look at that thing again now that Monkey Fist was gone from his life.

"What? No! Before any of that stuff, to become a real company, we need to sign the Articles of Agreement, so that the ship has some order and we're not all out just for ourselves!" Kim pointed out.

Ron nodded as if agreeing, but it was more that Kim made some sense to him. "I still say changing the jolly roger would be the better thing to do first," he remarked.

"We'll get to it, Ron, but right now, we should look like a real company if we want any respect on the high seas," the redhead stated.

Ron conceded that point. Kim went and retrieved the parchment that she wrote the rules on. Ron had no problem reading it quickly and making his mark, signing his name with a delicate calligraphy no one expected from him. Rufus followed him, earning a laugh from Kim, Wade, and Monique while Shego and Bonnie rolled their eyes. Wade was next to sign. He rapidly read through the articles, asking a few questions about what certain things meant before he made his mark, signing his name with a neat curve. No one was surprised that he could read or write. He basically said that he was too smart for his own good and that was why the carpenter sold him in the first place.

Monique signed next. She had a few questions too, not understanding many of the terms because she had never been on a ship before. Kim explained everything to her too. Monique was a little hesitant to make her mark. The last time she showed that she had a functioning brain she was almost sold, after all. But, since it was already clear that she could read, she supposed it would not hurt to show that she could write.

"So, these are basically, the ten rules of the ship? Once I sign, I have an equal vote and get an equal share of any prizes we collect?" Monique asked, just to be sure, even though Kim had already explained it.

"Exactly. And considering the fact that we're a pretty small company, I think you'll like the size of your share," Kim remarked.

"I've picked cane all my life for free, so any amount of money would be to my liking. Last thing, this part right here where it talks about flogging. That's whipping, right?"

"Yeah. I know it seems harsh and I doubt we'll ever have to use it, but the last ship I was on, the Captain told me that this is standard punishment on most ships. Honestly, I was onboard a pirate ship with one of the greatest captains ever and I never saw her flog one person. I hope that we can be that sort of crew," the redhead answered. She felt a little bad for having written that in there now, not knowing that half the crew would be made up of now runaway slaves.

"It's not really freedom if we can be punished for doing what we want," Bonnie stated harshly.

"And it's not really a ship if we can't all work together to keep afloat. Freedom has a price too. Now, if you want to be treated equally and get a fair share of any prize that we might take, you have to be able to follow the code of the ship," Kim barked, starting to get a little irritated by Bonnie. She had never come across someone so ungrateful to be rescued.

"Well, who the hell died and put you in charge? If we all get an equal vote in everything, shouldn't we vote on who we want to be the leader?" Bonnie said.

Kim was about to retort, but she stopped. The annoying wench had a point! They were supposed to vote for Captain. On the_ Global Justice_, they had had a few votes for Captain, even though it was Betty's ship. Betty always won the vote, getting them all except for Vivian, who always voted against the Captain to tease her. Just because Betty always got to be captain automatically did not mean that she would, Kim realized.

"You're right. I've overstepped my boundaries," Kim said in an apologetic voice. "All right, I would like to nominate myself for Captain. Vote aye if you agree."

There were four "ayes" from Ron, Wade, Monique, and Rufus. Honestly, no, they did not know Kim that well, but she seemed to know what she was doing. She had a take charge personality and from what they could tell she was not a bad person. She gave off a kind, but competent aura that sort of comforted them. Besides, she was the one that had been on a ship before and seemed to know how everything worked.

"All opposed, say nay," Kim said.

Two nays rang out. Bonnie was one, which did not surprise Kim. The redhead was shocked that Shego was the other nay. This was all Shego's idea to begin with and now she was opposed to it.

"Shego?" Kim said, turning her eyes up to the helm.

"I think I should be Captain," Shego decided.

Kim smirked a little, getting over her shock. No, this made perfect sense, Kim realized. It made sense for Shego to challenge her because she would have done the same thing. And she knew why she would have done the same thing.

"Why should you be Captain?" Kim inquired, still smiling. "I'm the one with the map."

"But, I'm the one that can kick your ass and take the map," Shego replied with a cocky smirk of her own.

"Map?" Monique echoed, turning to Ron.

"Apparently, Kim has a map from one of the most successful pirate captains to sail the sea. We're going to find it…as soon as Shego votes right," Ron explained.

"Why vote when I can prove it?" Shego left the helm, leaping down onto the deck. Just to be a show-off, she had to do a back-flip on the way down.

By the time Shego landed, Kim was in a fighting stance. Shego attacked immediately after gaining her balance. The rest of the crew was not sure what was going on, but they made sure to get out of the way. Ron could not believe what he was seeing most of all; Kim had not said anything about knowing martial arts and she did not say anything about Shego knowing them either.

The pair was a flurry of kicks, punches, hand strikes, and other moves. Kim threw punches while Shego had open handed attacks. A blur of orange and black zipped across the deck, leaving the crew speechless. They could hardly fathom what they were witnessing. The fighting was hard to follow, but everyone assumed it was tie. For each kick, there was a dodge, and for each hand strike, there was a block. For any blow that landed from one person, the other landed one right after that. The tide seemed to turn when Shego grabbed Kim, causing a brief pause in the battle.

Shego thought that she had the redhead and she was about to fling her onto her back, but Kim was not done yet. Jumping up, the younger woman planted both of her feet in Shego's chest, pushing her away. Kim lost some material to her jacket, ripped away by the older woman's claws. Kim caught herself as she hit the deck and hopped back up quickly.

Shego was on Kim in less than a second and they were that same flurry of activity all over again, except things seemed to be more intense now. Shego let loose a battle cry as she cut across Kim's chest with her claws, leaving slice marks through the fabric of her clothing. Kim was not to be out done and soon landed a few hits of her own, kicking Shego's shoulder a few times. Shego eventually caught her foot, but Kim used that to her advantage, jumping up and putting her other foot across Shego's face.

"This is crazy…" Ron muttered. Rufus nodded in agreement. Neither of them had ever seen fighting like this and that said a lot considering the captain that they used to serve under.

The fight continued, each warrior getting a few heavy hits in. Everything stopped when Shego crashed into the deck, her back being pressed into the wood by Kim's weight. Kim had one hand around Shego's neck and the other posed to punch her face in. Shego had one hand wrapped around what was left of Kim's jacket and the other posed to claw through her face.

"How about you just give it up and vote for me?" Kim suggested with a teasing smile. Her smile and tone confused the rest of the crew. She did not seem to have any more of an advantage over Shego to make that suggestion than Shego had over her.

"Why should I vote for you? I can still kick your ass and you don't even have the map anymore," Shego pointed out in a haughty tone.

Kim's expression did not change. "You're a good thief, I'll give you that. If I were anybody else, I probably wouldn't have even noticed you took it from me. But the map does you no good," she stated confidently.

Shego frowned. "What do you mean? You think you're the only one where that can read a map?" she inquired. She was not an idiot, after all. She knew how to live on the water.

"I'm the only one that can read that map," the redhead boasted.

Shego scoffed, silently calling Kim's bluff. The glint in the olive eyes did not leave, though. So, she flung Kim away from her; Kim allowed it. Shego climbed to her feet and pulled the pilfered map from her pocket. Unrolling the parchment, she studied it. After less than a second, her face scrunched up, announcing her bewilderment to the ship. Sucking her teeth, she flung the map back at Kim.

"Fine, you can be Captain, Princess," Shego conceded, as if it had been her idea all along. She did not want the position anyway, which was why she told Kim when they met up that she would follow along with Kim.

"I figured you'd see it my way," Kim replied with a playful smile. She then turned her attention to Bonnie. "Even though I only needed a majority, would you like to challenge me for Captain now?" she requested, still smiling.

Bonnie sucked her teeth and turned her nose up. "Maybe later, after I get a better idea for how the ship works."

Kim could not help laughing. She doubted that Bonnie would seriously try to challenge her for Captain. She knew that Shego's attempt had been serious, but more to make sure that Kim's ability to fight was not a fluke. Shego also wanted the rest of the crew to see what she and the Captain were capable of. Shego did not honestly want to be the Captain, which was why she signed the Articles of Agreement without even reading them. She suspected that they were the same rules that governed the now gone _Global Justice_ and she had heard those rules from many sailors. They seemed like a good set; better than anything Drakken ever came up with.

"Shego, for now continue being the helmsman," Kim said. Shego did not argue and returned to the helm. The redhead turned her attention to Ron. "Ron, show Wade any parts of the ship that require repair. Hopefully, he can fix them with what we have aboard. If not, we'll get to a port and buy supplies."

"No problem," Ron answered. "Wade, you think you're up to it?"

Wade nodded. "That, and a whole lot more," he declared confidently.

The two guys walked away and Kim turned her attention to Monique and Bonnie. She needed to show them everything that she knew about being on a ship. She figured that it would be easy enough with Monique, but the look in Bonnie's eyes told her that the tan young woman would continue to be defiant. She did not care, as long as they ran a good ship and could find out what the map led to.

Both women turned out to be fast learners. The only thing was that Bonnie did not like to display that she grasped a concept. Monique had no problem picking things up and showing off her abilities. She added her own flair to them to get into them and she found it easy to get along with Kim. Bonnie made it a point to be difficult and argued every step of the way with both Kim and Monique. By the end of it all, Kim just wanted to pass out in bed, but found that Shego had already taken the space.

"Look, Shego, this is the Captain's quarters and since I'm Captain, you need to go find some place else to sleep," Kim declared.

Shego looked up, smiled, and replied, "Make me."

Kim groaned, but she could not resist the challenge. Crouching down in her fighting stance, she waited for Shego to get up. Shego leaped up and the fight was on. The crew could hear the noise below deck.

"Don't those two ever stop fighting?" Monique wondered aloud. She was playing cards with the other crewmembers in the galley.

"I was actually gonna ask the same about you two," Ron remarked, pointing to Monique and Bonnie. This, of course, started an argument. Wade just sat back and watched, feeling that the voyage would be entertaining if nothing else.

* * *

Next time: the crew show their worth when Kim finds them a prize.


	13. Yohohoho!

I don't own these characters; Disney does. But, you already knew that, didn't you?

13: Yo-ho-ho-ho!

Shego did not say so, but she was impressed with their little "Captain Kimmie," as she and Bonnie jokingly called the petite redhead. Kim had enough patience to teach Monique and Bonnie the odds and ends of how to maintain the ship. Shego considered that Kim might actually be a saint for the simple fact that she had not let Bonnie have it yet. Shego loathed admitting it, but Bonnie argued more than she did! And over every little thing! If she did not shut her mouth soon, Shego thought that she might have to shut it _for _the little so-and-so.

"Why should I have to do it?" Bonnie huffed, holding her arms over her chest.

"Because we'd like to get to our destination sometime this century," Kim answered the obvious. Honestly, she would love nothing more than to wring Bonnie's neck and then chuck her overboard, but like she said, they would like to get their destination sometime that century. For that to happen, they needed every hand on deck doing her fair share and they could not afford to lose anybody.

"Monique can do it!" Bonnie stomped her foot like an indignant child.

"The hell I can! Last time I checked, I was a freewoman and didn't have 'Bonnie's slave' tattooed on my forehead!" Monique replied, shouting down from the ratlines. She was trying to get comfortable with the height, so she spent most of her time in the rigging. Unlike Bonnie, she was actually trying to enjoy working on the ship, especially since she had little desire to go back to any man's cane field or plantation.

Underneath the nasty attitude, Monique knew that Bonnie did not want to go back to any man's field either or go back to being property. She just wished that Bonnie could figure out a better way to express her freedom rather than arguing with everyone over everything just to prove that she could. For now, she assumed that Kim understood Bonnie's attitude since the redhead was being extra-patient with Bonnie and had not fed her a cannonball yet, but she was not sure how long that would last. Hell, she even smack Bonnie a couple of times with some of the ratlines.

"Stop being an annoying brat and do something with your lazy ass before we throw you off the fucking ship, pirate code be damned!" Shego hollered down to the tanned woman.

Bonnie turned her nose up, but since she suspected that was not an idle threat from the helmsman, she decided that the safest thing to do would be to get to work. Kim glanced up at Shego, but she did not say anything, so the green-skinned woman assumed that the Captain felt the same way. Shego smiled down at the redhead, but Kim did not respond, walking off to Wade. The young man was working on one of the ship's guns.

"What are you doing?" Kim asked curiously.

"Trying to modify the cannons like you asked," Wade answered. It seemed like a simple enough task now that he got a good look at what he was working with.

"They're called guns when you're on a ship," the redhead explained with a soft smile. So far, she liked Wade very much. He was a polite young man with a lot of brains, and it disgusted her to think that someone once owned him and held him back because of what he was capable of. That really needed to be a crime, she thought.

Wade laughed a little. "I'm still not used to all the ship talk. But I remember you saying that the ship you were on before had the ca—guns modified, so it only took one or two sailors to fire them. I think I can figure out how to do that, if you don't mind," he replied.

Km nodded, recalling telling them about how Betty's ship was a few days ago. "I wouldn't mind at all. We're a small crew. We need to be able to defend ourselves against larger crews and ships. We also need to be able to take down larger crews and ships." She knew eventually she was going to have to go after a prize or she would just end up fighting with Shego until she did. As fun as it was to battle with the older woman, she was not interested in doing that every day.

"I can do this with no problem. Do you think we should get the other weapons below deck? Ron was showing me all the guns and ammo and stuff. I think I could do a few things with those too."

"Wade, it's your show. You're the resident genius," Kim stated with a smile.

The praise got a huge grin out of Wade because it was something so out of the ordinary for him. He was never complimented for anything, especially for his intelligence. To have someone recognize and compliment his mind, and then put him in charge of something because of that was beyond belief. The fact that her smile was so genuine when she said it too was just about the highlight of his day. He silently vowed to not let her down.

"We're starting to look like a pirate ship," Ron commented as he came up from the galley with lunch for everyone. He stood by the Captain and sipped his stew with her.

"Little by little, but if we can't fight off a crew, then we might as well just follow the map and see where it goes without causing any trouble," Kim replied, trying to be a little refined with eating, but found it impossible since she did not even have a spoon.

"We already caused trouble. You've stolen a ship and three people. Not to mention, I know for a fact Shego used to belong to Drakken's crew and he won't be happy to know she's with you," the cook pointed out.

"Drakken's in an Imperial prison, so I'm not too worried about him. The ship…you know more about that than I do. Should I be worried?" she asked him curiously, giving him a sidelong glance.

"Yeah. Monkey Fist is one crazy cur. Most of the crew were actually monkeys that he taught to do…" Ron trailed off and shuddered in disgust as well as terror.

Kim arched an eyebrow to his reaction. "Taught them to do what?"

"Sorry, monkeys just creep me out. But, yeah, he taught them all these Eastern arts."

"Like…?" Kim pressed.

"Oh, right. You know all about stuff like this. Sorry, I'm used to people being totally clueless about this stuff. But, yeah, he taught them to do Tai Shi Pek Quar. It's like monkey kung-fu. It was freaky! Majorly sick-wrong!" Ron shuddered again while Rufus pretended to die on his shoulder, obviously equally disgusted as the blond.

Kim blinked hard. "He taught monkeys kung-fu…?" Stranger things had happened in the world, she supposed. "He'll come after us?" she guessed, not too worried.

"Yeah. Most definitely. This was his ship with a lot of his most valuable possessions on it. He won't be too happy that you shanghaied me either. He was trying to keep an eye on me thanks to some weird prophecy or something. He seems to think I'm going to get some kinda crazy mystical monkey power that he wants. Have I thanked you yet for getting me away from him?" Ron inquired quite seriously. He did not think it was possible to be as insane as Monkey Fist was.

"Several times, everyday," she reminded him with a gentle smile. "Is there anything else you need to tell me about Lord Fiske?"

Ron was quiet for a moment, and then he decided to trust Kim completely. She seemed to trust him completely, having told him about her treasure map and serving under Betty Blackheart and everything, so he figured that he should disclose more too. Hell, with the way Kim fought, she might be able to help him, especially if she made Shego fight too.

"He's a crazy man, Kim. He wants this mystical monkey power, and he's forcing this girl Yori to help him find it. He drags her everywhere, on a chain even! People just assume she's his slave because she's from the East and they don't say anything to him. She's translating books for him and decoding ancient texts for him. Kim…if we can…" Ron trailed off.

Kim put her hand on his unoccupied shoulder. "Ron, I promise you, if we run into Lord Fiske, I will get Yori away from him and back to you," she vowed in a low voice.

Ron's eyes opened wide. "How did you…?"

"Your eyes lit up when you said her name, even though you were talking about such a sad thing. The outrage you feel for her also shows through your eyes. My emotions used to show about when…" Kim trailed off.

"When?" Ron asked, tilting his head to regard Kim.

The redhead shook her head; she was not ready to share that with the blond. It was not that she did not trust him; she could easily tell he was a good guy with a big heart. She just could not speak about Josh without getting emotional.

"How about you tell me more things that you know about pirates aside from Lord Fiske?" Kim requested.

They got into a long discussion, comparing and contrasting what they knew about everyone on the high seas. Kim was trying to use the information to figure out who they should plunder first. She was not in the mood to take prizes from honest businessmen, but anyone a little tilt was fair game in her opinion. They split up when Ron went to go prepare supper for the crew. Kim turned her attention to the others on the ship.

"Wade!" Kim called, walking over to the young man, who was still working on one of the guns.

"Yes, Kim?" Wade answered.

"I wanted to check on how things are going with the guns."

"We might need to buy a few things, but I've come up with a plan. I'm going to go check out the weapons below deck in a moment."

Kim nodded and waited to hear from Wade on what they were going to do with the weapons. Once that was decided, she charted a course for the nearest port, wanting to gather supplies. Treasure on the ship was used for the purchases. Kim also gave each member of the crew a piece of the money for their own personal use. She was not surprised when Monique and Bonnie returned to the ship with extensive clothing. She was surprised when Shego did the same.

"Next time, I'm going to get some nice clothes too," the Captain grumbled.

"You probably don't have the right taste, Captain Kimmie," Bonnie remarked.

"My taste in clothes is probably better than yours!" Kim huffed.

"Big surprise, they're arguing again," Ron joked, speaking to Wade and Rufus as they boarded the ship.

"I never would have thought," Wade added in, laughing as he spoke.

The ladies did not take offense; they barely acknowledged that the fellows were there. While casting off, the ship was filled with talk of clothes. Ron took that as his cue to start cooking and Wade busied himself by improving the weapons.

When Wade went to show the Captain the improved guns and explained what he had done, Kim grinned ear to ear. She showered with him praise that he did not even think was possible. He worked twice as hard on the pistols and rifles that were stored below deck.

"Bonnie, Monique, come here for a second," Kim called them over as soon as Wade was finished with his report.

The two women looked up from their tasks. Monique had no problem with meeting Kim halfway as she approached them, but Bonnie was intent on not moving. When Kim and Monique went over to her, they were frowning.

"Must you always be so goddamned difficult?" Monique huffed, glaring at Bonnie.

"I'm a freewoman. I don't need to listen to nobody," Bonnie pointed out.

"But, you're free because of this woman, so how about having a little courtesy and respect for her?" Monique countered.

"I don't have to."

"No, you don't have to, but I know your mama taught you some manners, so you need to start using them toward Kim," Monique said. She was somewhat aware that she was being disrespectful in her own way by addressing Kim by name instead of as "captain," but Kim did not seem to care, so she did not let it bother her.

"I don't need to start doing nothing I don't feel like doing," Bonnie proudly declared, sticking her nose in the air.

"You do need to start listening. You don't know nothing about being out to sea! These guys do and they're trying to keep us alive and free along with themselves! Now, unless you wanna go back to the cane fields eventually, you need to start pulling your weight because I'll be damned if I'm going back to a fucking cane field!" Monique proclaimed, anger causing her face to flush and tension to race through her. She balled her hands into tight fists, wanting to scream and tear at her hair, but resisting the urge. Bonnie actually flinched and took a step back, as if she thought that Monique might strike her.

"Mo…" Bonnie muttered, unsure what else to say. She put her hand out, her whole arm trembling.

Monique grabbed her hand and held it in her own. They were silent for a moment, staring into each other's eyes. Bonnie swallowed hard while Monique managed to calm down a little.

"Bonnie, please…" Monique whispered.

The tanned woman nodded. Kim was not sure what she was seeing, but she had a feeling that it was not something the pair wanted her to see. She turned her attention to her feet for a few seconds. When olive eyes glanced back up, the duo seemed to be waiting for orders.

"Um…I was going to teach you guys how to use the guns. When we get into a fight, we need as many gunners as we can spare, which would be our whole crew," Kim pointed out.

Bonnie and Monique nodded. Kim was able to get through her tutorial on the guns without any problems. Not because of Monique's effect on Bonnie earlier, but because they found something that Bonnie was a natural at. Bonnie was a good shot with both the cannons and the pistols. She liked the idea of being a gunner once she saw how good she was with the weapons. Kim was just happy to find one thing that she would not have to fight with Bonnie over, pretty sure that whenever she called attack, the gunner would be ready with her weapon and more than happy to use it.

The redhead quickly found out how right she was. When she felt like they were ready to take on a ship—none too soon either because they were starting to run out of the money that had been onboard when they stole the ship—Kim found them a prize. It was a small cargo ship, holding a supply of rum for the Capitol. Not being able to overpower it, Kim ran an Imperial flag to get close to the ship and Bonnie was able to show off her skills with Wade's modified cannons. She disabled the ship on her own, leaving it stranded for Kim, Shego, and, surprisingly enough, Ron to board. The three talented fighters made short work of the crew, making sure not to kill anyone. The prize was small, but the celebration was huge, especially since for more than half the crew that was the first time that they were allowed their own money from such a venture; Ron had never gotten a share under Monkey Fist.

"We need to find a port now!" Monique laughed as Shego filled everyone's cup with their stolen rum. Kim waved it off, earning an odd look from the helmsman.

"Lemme guess, you don't drink, do you, Captain?" Shego inquired. She could just imagine their Captain being the one pirate on the sea that did not drink.

Kim only shook her head. She felt oddly detached from the merriment, even though they were all close together on deck. They had anchored the ship in a deep lagoon on a tiny island covered in dense forest, well out of sight of anyone looking for them. Something about today bothered Kim; maybe it was the reality that she was a pirate captain. There was no longer any following orders and trailing behind Betty. Now, she was the one calling the shots, she was the one going against the Empire, she was the one that was the head outlaw in charge. The whole thing was surreal.

Taking a deep breath, Kim stepped away from her crew with the hope that she would be able to get her head together. She walked to the edge of the ship to look into the lagoon water. It was difficult to see the clear blue now that the sun was setting. The calm waves only managed to slightly soothe her soul.

"What's wrong?" Monique asked, stepping up beside the Captain.

"Nothing much. Just not the way I envisioned my life," Kim answered honestly. It was the best she could do too because she was not entirely sure what was troubling her.

"I doubt anyone here—with the exception of your girl Shego—envisioned their lives this way," Monique pointed out with a small smirk.

Kim laughed a little and nodded. "I guess you're right. Might as well stop feeling sorry for myself then." Despite the truth to Monique's words and her insight, she still did not feel much better.

"Damn right! Now, get over there and party with your crew after leading us to our first little piece of piracy ever!"

Kim chuckled a bit and decided to go along with them, even though she did not feel like partying. She was able to fake it rather well, raising cups with them, even though hers was full of tea while theirs remained full of rum. She thought that rum might have really been getting to Bonnie and Monique as they were closer than she was used to seeing them, even though they were still arguing, the words getting lower with each mug of rum.

Shego noticed the closeness and smiled a bit while shaking her head. She knew that she was going to have to find some place else to bunk later on. She figured the Captain's quarters would be fine; plus, she would get to annoy Captain Kimmie. It was a win/win situation as far as she was concerned.

Kim slipped away from the festivities before everyone else, so Shego was not surprised to find the petite Captain sleeping when the party was finally over and the helmsman did indeed have to find some other place to bunk down thanks to Monique and Bonnie. In her drunken haze, Shego silently admitted that the Captain was downright adorable and beautiful at the same time, especially in her sleep. But, she was taken from those thoughts as she watched Kim's face twist an almost painful manner, obviously having trouble in her sleep. Emerald eyes went wide; Shego did not think anything fazed or bothered their fearless leader. It actually hurt a little to realize that was not true.

"No…" Kim whimpered in her sleep and turned over onto her side. Her arms flailed a little, as if she was fighting someone off. Her legs joined in the battle, but from the tormented expression on her face, it did not seem like she was winning.

Shego acted on impulse, climbing into bed with the Captain and wrapping her in a strong embrace, trying to halt the redhead's movements. She held onto Kim as the redhead tried to fight her off, but Kim was not very skilled while asleep. The whimpers got louder and turned into outright cries as she continued to twist and turn.

"Shh…" Shego whispered, rocking the distressed woman. "It's okay," she gently assured the Captain. She continued this until Kim finally calmed down minutes later. The pale woman smiled when the younger woman returned her embrace. The hug felt so warm and she could understand why people did it so often.

Olive eyes flickered open when all was calm. Kim looked around curiously, silently happy to see that she was not surrounded by several lusty pirates who were groping her and tearing at her clothing. Nor was she holding onto Josh's lifeless body and getting covered in his blood, but she quickly realized that she was holding onto something. Seeing a pale arm around her, she could guess who it was, but she still looked up to be sure. She audibly groaned when she saw it was Shego, who was smiling like the cat that got the cream.

"I'm never going to hear the end of this, huh?" Kim asked in a low tone.

Shego shook her head. "What were you dreaming about?" she inquired in a low tone of her own. Her hand started caressing Kim's back without any orders from her brain. _This feels really nice_, she thought.

"What are you doing here?" Kim countered. Although being caught by Shego in the throes of a horrible nightmare dreadfully embarrassed her, she did not pull away from the warm, comforting body. _I need this_.

"Bonnie and Monique," Shego answered, figuring that they would get back to Kim's problems eventually.

"What do you mean?"

"Rum makes them extra-frisky," the older woman remarked with a lewd smirk.

Kim's brow furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Shego was a little bewildered too, thinking that she was being pretty clear about things. "What do you mean, 'what do I mean'? They're getting it on."

"Huh?"

The older woman laughed. "You're really that innocent? I'm amazed. What I mean by they're getting it on is that they're having sex."

Kim blinked. "Huh? How? What? I thought they hated each other!"

Shego laughed again. "No, they like each other just fine. They get along kinda like me and you, best when arguing or fighting…"

"But they don't really mean it?"

"No, I'm sure they do mean it. Like when we fight, we do mean it because we want to win. They mean it because they want to win the argument. But, they don't hate each other…"

Kim blinked and was quiet for a moment. "We don't hate each other, right? I mean, I don't hate you."

Shego did not say anything, but she did hold onto Kim just a little tighter. It said more than words ever would. But, she decided to add to it.

"You know, Kimmie, I don't think I've ever in all my life met someone like you. You're…interesting. Can't hate someone who's as interesting as you," the pale woman answered.

The redhead smiled softly. There was silence between them before Kim spoke again. "I don't understand how Bonnie and Monique could be like that…"

Shego's brow furrowed, finding it hard to believe that Kim was serious, even though she could tell that the redhead was very serious. "How could you not? You were onboard Betty Blackheart's ship and everything," the sable-haired woman commented.

"I don't get it. What do you mean?"

"Betty and her navigator Vivian."

Shego watched as Kim's face tensed and she seemed to search her mind for what Shego was talking about. It was clear when she got what Shego was talking about because her eyes opened wide. Shego chuckled a bit when she saw the shocked and amazed expression.

"Wow! I can't believe I never noticed it before. But, that explains all of the pet names and teasing and the kisses," Kim stated in shock. "I can't believe I didn't notice it. But…how do they do that…?" she wondered aloud.

"It's very simple," Shego answered in a purr. "Maybe when you get lonely enough you'll beg me to show you."

Kim stiffened and Shego realized that now was not the time to taunt the Captain. This was something beyond the idea of two women being intimate. Hoping that Kim did not order her to leave, Shego pressed Kim to her a little more, silently assuring the redhead that she was there and everything would be all right.

"So…are you going to tell me what you were dreaming about?" Shego asked, going back to the original topic.

Kim's eyes searched Shego's for a moment, scanning for some sign that it was safe to unload on this usually crass, irksome warrior. The emerald eyes were clear and sincere. That was all Kim needed to see before she curled into Shego's shoulder and wept. Shego only held her tighter while wondering what happened to make the strongest woman that she knew cry as she was. She found out the cause all too quickly as Kim spoke rapidly, hardly stopping for a breath, and relaying the tale of what happened when she left home and how she became a pirate. Shego unconsciously held her tighter when she spoke of Pete and the wrongs that so-called man had done her.

"It's okay, Kimmie. It's okay," Shego assured the younger woman. She silently vowed to cause that Pete bastard unspeakable pain if they were met up and she was going to do her best to make sure that happened. As soon as Kim was in a better mood, Shego was going to suggest that they start taking Hench Co. ships, not just for the large prize, but to narrow the chances of them meeting up with the crew that ruined Kim's life. Shego was only mildly surprised by her desire to do such a thing. Deep down inside of her, she knew that she had a protective streak in her, but it usually only extended to people she really liked; she just did not like to acknowledge that streak in her.

It would seem that she liked her Captain much more than she had previously thought.

Speaking of the Captain, Shego noticed that the redhead cried herself to sleep. She kissed the top of Kim's head and settled in for her own rest. Her dreams were filled with thoughts of revenge while Kim's sleep was much more comfortable the second time around.

* * *

Next time: more KiGo and more piracy. What more could you ask for?


	14. The possibilities

I don't own these characters; Disney does.

A/N: There is a link at the bottom of my profile to a picture based on this story. Check it out please.

14: The possibilities

Company Possible continued on plundering small ships on the high seas. They referred to it as "practice." They liked to think that they would be able to graduate to larger prizes soon enough, even though Kim's map was always in the back of their minds. They slowly followed the course charted, making sure to continue to loot small ships because they both needed and wanted the swag. Most of their ships were small partners of Hench Co.

Shego had decided after spending that first night comforting the Captain in her sleep that they should target Hench Co. ships. She easily got the Captain's okay with that plan, making sure to make a selfless argument, even though her reasons were quite selfish. She pointed out that Hench Co. was the biggest slave trader in the Empire, and also dealt in many illegal practices, which included betraying the Empire by selling weapons to rival countries and shanghaiing drunkards to sell into slavery around the world. Kim knew about those and agreed that they would target Hench Co. ships, basically for the greater good. Most of the crew went along because they wanted to hurt a filthy skin-trading company.

After making that decision, the crew went to work on a few "improvements" on the ship. The first was changing the name. Their ship went from being the _Flying Monkey_ to the _Anything's Possible_. They had heard the Captain say that a few times and they liked to think that it was true, not just for her, but for their whole crew. They took it as their motto as well as the ship name and the Captain's family creed.

The jolly roger was changed after that. They wanted Hench Co. to know what company was taking on their ships when it finally happened and they knew there would be some confusion if they were still flying Lord Fiske's flag. Their flag became a winking skull with fire red hair. It usually made them laugh when they looked at it; they doubted that many people would be menaced by it at first, but they were going to get their reputation up and they were certain that no one would laugh when they saw that flag flying high.

Wade continued to make changes to the weapons and improve the ship, but they still were not in any shape to take on large crews. Many of the changes that he made astounded his crewmates and they were certain that he was the definition of a genius. Wade was just happy to be able to stretch both his imagination and his intellect.

The crew continued to "practice" their piracy on small ships until Wade decided that all of his improvements were enough for large ships. The practice was having an effect on the Captain. Kim was able to hide it from her crew for the most part because it did not affect her behavior, but all of the pillaging made her nightmares worse. The only person that knew about them was Shego because she now shared the Captain's bed. There was nothing sexual going on, but Kim needed another presence beside her, someone to silently assure her that everything was all right.

Shego made it her mission to hold Kim at night, keeping the nightmares at bay. It ate at her that some weak-willed fool was able to get to someone that she viewed as an equal; quite possibly the only person she viewed as an equal. But, she supposed that it worked out in a way for her as she quickly found out that she enjoyed holding Kim. She had never done anything like this before in her life, just lie there with someone and cuddle. It felt very good.

There was nothing that Shego could compare this "good" too. She dared to think that holding Kim felt pure. She would do it for the rest of her life, if she could. She hoped that Kim enjoyed the embrace as much as she did. She suspected that Kim liked it more since she always just curled into Shego's body whenever she felt those powerful arms around her.

Most nights started off with Kim going to bed alone and the nightmares would come. Kim would battle the phantoms and this was a fight that she could not win. Soon after, Shego entered the room. She always found Kim whimpering and writhing, fighting off mental demons. The demons always seemed to be winning. Easing into bed, Shego would put her arms around Kim, who would continue to struggle until she was in a full embrace. Once Shego seemed to engulf her, Kim calmed down and put her arms around Shego. Sometimes, she would wake up and they would talk a bit and other times they would both just drift into peaceful slumbers.

"Shego…" Kim whispered in case the warrior had fallen asleep already. She really did not want to wake Shego, but she suspected that the helmsman was still up considering the fact that talented fingers were running up and down her spine at the moment.

"Yeah?" Shego answered. She could not control her hands because they thoroughly enjoyed feeling Kim at moments like this. Feeling soft skin was pure bliss, she silently noted.

"I just…I wanted to thank you…for being here for me…" the redhead replied, sounding almost shy. She was not sure how Shego would take the thanks. There was always a chance that the older woman would tease her. Now, she doubted that the teasing would be done maliciously, but right now, she could not even take playful teasing.

Shego was silent for a while, only breathing calmly while rubbing the small of Kim's back. Kim purred softly, pressing herself deeper into Shego. The contact made Shego smile.

"Don't think anything of it, Princess. I enjoy being here for you," the pale woman admitted. It felt safe to say, wrapped in the warmth of Kim and the privacy of the dark room.

"Um…" Kim took a deep breath, feeling safer than ever before. Not just safe in Shego's arms, but safe to continue speaking. "…I like this…" she confessed. She had never felt anything quite like this, not even when she was with Josh. There was something much different about when Shego held her. She would not say it was better than when Josh held her; she refused to compare Shego to him. But, this was certainly different. A good different.

"I like it too," Shego answered. That was easier to admit than the other thing, not just because the first confession always seemed to be the hardest, but because that seemed a little less complicated and less emotional.

"I think I understand a little better what you were telling me about Bonnie and Monique as well Betty and Vivian…"

Shego chuckled a bit. "I think there's something to it, too."

Kim made a noise, but she did not say anything beyond that. She snuggled closer to Shego, who held her just a little tighter. Kim's fingers played with the ends of Shego's hair while the older warrior continued to rub her back. These peaceful moments, they found, were just as good as when they were fighting each other. It made them both understand each other better, but it also made them understand Bonnie and Monique a little better. Yes, they liked arguing and sparring with each other, but there was something just as deep and fulfilling as lying together, sharing in the silence. It seemed quite natural. Almost perfect.

True perfection was achieved through an odd impulse had by Shego. Kim moved her head to rest against Shego's shoulder and she felt emerald eyes on her. She glanced up to see Shego staring down at her. Emerald eyes seemed so full that they might overflow and the emotion felt like it ran right into the petite redhead. She felt overwhelmed by the sight and feeling. A gentle squeeze around Kim's shoulders kept her eyes on Shego and then suddenly the redhead felt soft lips pressing against her.

Olive eyes opened wide for a second before drifting shut as the most pleasant, soothing feeling coursed through her. Instinctively, she returned the kiss while wrapping her arms tightly around Shego. Feeling the response to her touch, Shego tilted her head slightly to feel more of Kim's delightful lips. A moan passed between them; neither were sure who made the sound. Kim pulled away just as Shego was about to take things even further. The green-skinned sailor was just a little disappointed from the loss of contact.

"Wow…" the Captain muttered in an amazed whisper, eyes looking beyond Shego as Kim tried to gather her thoughts.

Shego let loose a smile that was somewhere between satisfied and arrogant. "I aim to please, Cap'n Kimmie," she boasted. In her head, she was saying "wow" with just as much awe as Kim, though.

"I think…I think I'm really starting to understand this now…" the redhead remarked with a chuckle, turning her gaze back to the other woman.

"Maybe we should practice a little bit more, just to be sure," Shego quipped with a wicked smirk.

Kim nodded and let loose a shy smile. She then surprised Shego with the enthusiasm that she put toward the task. Shego was caught off-guard when Kim's lips came in contact with her own. She moaned from the surprise contact and sweet bliss of the second kiss. There certainly was something to "this." Now, if only they knew what "this" was…not that not knowing was stopping them.

When they finally settled down, their lips were swollen, but they were both feeling more than adored. The emotions that existed between both of them seemed to expand infinitely, growing larger and deeper, while remaining peaceful, soothing, and comforting. As they drifted off to sleep, they both thought the same thing. "This" was perfect.

* * *

Kim and Shego were surprised to find that after a night of passionate kissing, their behavior outside of the Captain's quarters did not change a bit. They were not awkward around each other and moved about like it was a normal day. It was as if they naturally fit together. Kim could not help thinking of when Vivian told her that there was someone out there for her and she recalled answering that person was Josh. _Could Shego really be that someone? _

The idea that Shego was that someone disturbed and upset Kim a little. Was she going to allow Shego to replace Josh in her heart? No, she quickly shook that away. No one would ever be Josh. Shego was different and fulfilled parts of Kim that she did not know was there, but that did not mean that she was taking Josh's place. Josh was Josh and Shego was Shego. As long as she could keep that in mind, Kim was certain that she could go on with Shego and see where they were going.

Shego was not thinking on things as hard as Kim was. Of course, she had less to think about because she had never had someone like Josh in her life, so she did not have that battle to contend with. She had also lived the life of a pirate long enough to know when to go with the flow and just accept when something felt good…not that she had ever felt something feel this type of good. It was almost wholesome, quiet, but passionate. She liked it too much to question it and figured that she would just stick around Kimmie until the emotions ran their course. She hoped that the emotions never ran their course either.

"How's things going with the map?" Ron asked Kim curiously, as he noticed the Captain studying the document.

"Everything's fine. We're on course and moving at a decent speed. I'm just wondering what this place is that it leads to. I've never seen this group of islands before and they're so far from the colonies. It's almost like these islands are in the East," Kim answered, eyes stuck on the map.

Ron glanced down at the map; the redhead never hid the document from the crew. This was one of the things that he liked best about Kim. She was open and upfront about everything from what he could tell. He knew that she had some kind of secret, but it seemed more personal than anything else because he only noticed it when he spoke about Yori to her. He had a feeling that her secret had to do with some pain with a loved one, like he felt over Yori.

"I don't know much about maps, but it looks like we're headed west," he commented, his brow furrowing a little in confusion. Rufus also appeared to be a bit perplexed about the direction that they were headed.

"Yeah, we do need to go west, making this a long journey because we have to make it to the East, but it's almost as if beyond the East. We've only just begun," she pointed out. Monique interrupted their brief discussion.

"Ship off the starboard side!" Monique called out before putting her spy-glass back to her eye to get some details. "Hench Co," she added when she noticed the company flags underneath the Imperial flag.

The crew all took out their own spy-glass, wanting to get a good look at the ship. Kim frowned when she noticed the size of the ship, as well as for another reason. The whole crew scowled, knowing just what was on a ship that size. Before Kim could even close her spy-glass, she had three crewmembers in her face.

"We're taking that ship!" Bonnie declared, pointing out to sea in the direction of the massive galleon.

"Right now!" Monique chimed in with passion in her tone. If not now, then sooner in her opinion.

"Whoa, calm down, so not the drama," Kim remarked, earning very strange looks from her crew. She chuckled a bit, knowing that sometimes her manner of speaking was a little much for them.

"Yes, it is! We're going now!" Bonnie commanded, a fire burning in her eyes that usually only showed up when she argued with Monique.

"That's not your call," Kim pointed out.

"We all have an equal vote," the tan sailor countered smugly. There might be something to voting, she thought.

"Fine, we'll put it to a vote. Who thinks we should foolishly charge a ship that's clearly got up in size and manpower?" Kim proposed, folding her arms across her chest.

Immediately, Bonnie, Monique, and Wade raised their hands. "Aye!"

"All opposed?" Kim said. Surprisingly, the remaining crew did not raise their hands to vote the idea down. Even the Captain just stood there.

"Do the ayes have it if since there's no opposition?" Monique inquired. It seemed to make sense to her. They should win by default because half of the crew abstained from voting.

"Just because we didn't vote against it doesn't mean we're for the idea. That's a suicide mission out there," Shego pointed out. As much as she loved a good fight, she was very much against committing any type of suicide. She liked living a little more than she liked fighting.

"Kim, I know you're against slavery in all forms, so why shouldn't we go after that ship?" Monique asked, feeling like the Captain was more likely to give in to the good fight than Shego would.

"Because it's huge compared to ours. I am very much against slavery in any form, yes, but there's not much we can do. Do you know how precise our attack would have to be to even do anything to that ship? And then, let's say we manage to stop it and let's say we're able to even defeat the crew, what happens to the people inside the hull? We can't carry them anywhere. They'll be stranded in the middle of the ocean," Kim pointed out.

"Anything's better than being sold like horses in the colonies!" Bonnie hollered so loudly that her face was turning red with frustration.

"Even being stranded in the middle of the Atlantic to starve to death while drifting to God knows where?" Kim inquired.

"YES!" the three former slaves answered empathically. Kim had to take a step back because of the emotion of it all and silent for a moment, clearly considering their response.

"Princess, don't even think about," Shego commanded. Even from the helm, she could see that crazy glint in Kim's eyes that she knew bred foolhardy chivalrous ideas.

"It is a Hench Co. ship," Kim said.

Shego frowned, thinking that _he_ might be on there. It was tempting, even if it was just to find him. Things were certainly more personal now that she and Kim had exchanged kisses. She would love nothing more than to rip him apart for trying to steal something that she was now sure was a gift for her.

"It's a huge Hench Co. ship," Shego stated, not wanting to give in so easily. Still, inside, her belly twisted at the thought of getting her hands on him so soon. She would make him pay for his crimes.

"Probably full of all other types of plunder. Besides, I know how you feel about slavery too," Kim argued. Shego probably would have been an abolitionist if she had settled on land somewhere in the Empire rather than live her life as an outlaw at sea. She was against any and all forms of someone controlling another person's destiny.

"What kinda plunder?" Shego inquired with a craned eyebrow.

"You know, the usual stuff, crowns, rum, mail, clothes, maybe even some jewels" the Captain answered.

"Food?" Ron chimed in. He could already see where this was going and he just wanted an excuse to go along with it. Yes, he was also against slavery, but like Shego had a problem with going on suicide missions.

"Of course," Kim answered.

Ron shrugged. "I guess I could go for that," he muttered.

The Captain then turned her attention to the last opposition. "Shego?" she asked.

Shego was quiet for a moment and tempted to tell Kim that she would fight her for it. It would put her in a better mood, but it would also give that huge ship time to get away. She did not want slavers to get away, especially since that ship could quite possibly have that bastard Pete on there that Shego wanted so badly to tear her claws through. It was settled for her.

"I call dibs on any rum," Shego stated.

Kim chuckled a bit and smiled. "Okay, guys, if we're going to do this, we have to do it right. This isn't practice anymore and there are probably hundreds of lives at stake in that ship's hull. One screw up could mean a lot of dead people, us included. Now, first things first, we need to stop that ship without disabling it. Since we obviously can't fit all of the slaves on this ship, we'll need them to be able to sail that one," she pointed out.

"Yeah, because slave ships are always packed full of competent sailors," Shego remarked sarcastically.

"I don't hear your plan," the Captain countered.

"Where are they supposed to sail to?" the pale woman asked.

"There are a small group of islands nearby. We can take them that far. I don't know what they'll do after that, but that's better than being hauled off to the colonies and sold like a bunch of sheep," Kim replied.

The crew agreed with that, finding that was a decent solution to their problem. Now they just needed to execute things with a precision they were not too sure they had yet. Catching up to the ship, everyone got into their battle positions. Bonnie opened things up when they got close enough, firing her gun with a special ammunition that Wade prepared for them. When the shell made it to the other ship, it exploded and covered some of the crew in a foul smelling odor that rapidly made them lose consciousness.

"Fire more of that! It works well!" Kim announced, tracking their success through her spy-glass.

For once, Bonnie did not argue. She fired again as did Monique. Kim and Ron loaded guns of their own and fired. Shego kept the ship steady as they pulled up closer to the slavers. Once they were close enough, Monique took control of the helm, knowing enough to keep them from crashing into anything. Shego, Kim, and Ron boarded the other ship; two out of those three, of course, had to complain about the smell as soon as they touched down.

"Did you guys really expect it to smell like roses after all of the cannonballs we fired?" Kim inquired.

"I didn't expect it to smell like rotting ass!" Shego countered.

Kim rolled her eyes, which were tearing. Wade certainly knew how to make a potent ammunition. Thanks to that, they did not have many people to fight because most of them had passed out already. Thankfully, the ripe odor was carried away by the sea air quickly, so the pirates were not in danger of passing out from the stench. They had to take the time to bind all of the crew before letting out the human cargo. At first, the people in the hull were shy to come out, but eventually they were coaxed above deck to see that they were being saved.

After that, Shego returned to the Anything's Possible to take control of the helm. Kim stayed aboard the Hench Co. ship to steer it toward the islands that she told her crew about. Shego was quiet on the trip, which the crew thought was odd. They had just taken a huge prize after all and freed a bunch of slaves. For them, that was cause for celebration, but Shego was silently seething that the bastard Pete was not onboard that ship. She really wanted to wrap her hands around his neck and never stop squeezing and she had hoped this would have been her chance, but no such luck.

The drop off was fairly easy. It was hard to explain to the former cargo what was going on, but it turned out that Monique found someone that she could communicate with in a language that none of the other crewmembers knew. Monique later informed the crew that her mother had never learned English, so she had to learn her mother's native language to speak with her. Once the explanation of what was going on was out there, everything else was simple and the Company Possible was off again, feeling pretty good about themselves.

Of course, they had to celebrate their victory with large mugs of rum; their Captain had tea, but she celebrated with them. And they took this as a sign of what they needed to do while following the course on the map. They needed to help those who could not help themselves…and get as much swag out of it as possible. And, of course, Shego would continue to keep an eye out for Pete.

* * *

Next time: Yori.


	15. Pirates versus Ninjas

I don't own these characters; Disney does.

15: Pirates versus Ninjas

"Thank you God, a port!" Ron hollered as he literally leaped off of the _Anything's Possible_ and landed none-so-gracefully on the wooden pier. It seemed like it had been an eternity since they had last seen a port.

"If he kisses the deck, he's on punishment," Shego remarked, referring to Ron's childish behavior.

"Agreed," Kim replied, peering over the side to make sure Ron's mouth stayed firmly away from the ground. He was rubbing the wood, but nothing more than that so far. Still, she would keep an eye on him.

"I know how he feels, though. It seems like we've been out to sea forever," Monique declared, throwing up her hands and stretching.

"Well, it's your fault. You and the deep water rescue team here," Shego quipped, motioning to the whole crew, not including herself.

"Yeah, because you were objecting so loudly when we took those slave ships," Monique replied in a deadpan tone.

They had honed their skills at taking down large slave ships and had spent a lot of time at sea doing so. The improvements that Wade continued to make to their weapons and ship made it easier and easier to take down their prey. After taking the ships, they always sailed the slaves to the same chain of islands. The islands were close and it was a good way to check up on the other people they had rescued. During that time, they taught the escapees how to use the ships that they stole and also helped establish villages on the islands. It was a bit of a setback as far as following the map went, but other than that they were gaining in infamy and fortune, and feeling pretty good about themselves for sticking it to Hench Co. as well as what they felt were unjust laws of the Empire.

"I can't help it if slave ships carry a good amount of swag with them," Shego huffed, almost as if she was insulted by the implications that she liked to to do the right thing.

"Oh, yeah, it's definitely the swag that gets you moving," Monique said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

"Mo," Kim sighed. "Don't get on her or you know she'll be twice as difficult the next time we run into a slave ship," she pointed out.

Monique chuckled a bit. "Aw, but Captain, you'll straighten her out, won't you?" she asked and Kim knew there was something more behind those words, but, damn it, she could not figure out what it was.

"Hey, nobody straightens out the Dragon of the Sea!" Shego proclaimed with a haughty smirk.

Monique only rolled her eyes again, but decided against starting any trouble. The ladies and Wade disembarked from the ship. They went their separate ways almost immediately, just agreeing to be back at the ship in two days, if only to make sure they were all still alive.

Before anything else, the ladies wanted to bathe; they were all in agreement with that. They easily found a bathhouse and spent most of their afternoon there. After that, they broke apart into the expected couples. Bonnie and Monique disappeared, searching for an upscale hotel, claiming they wanted to sleep in proper beds. Shego rolled her eyes and gave them a skeptical, knowing smirk. They ignored her and walked off, arguing with each other about what type of room they wanted.

"One room," Kim muttered, referring to the departing pair.

"I told you how they are. You thought I was making it up?" Shego inquired, arching her eyebrow.

"No, I guess it just never occurred to me…even though we…" Kim trailed off, not too sure how to explain herself. Really, no matter what Shego said, she still could not picture Bonnie and Monique beyond the petty squabbling that they engaged in everyday for the whole day. Her mind could not fathom them not only getting along, but somehow loving each other too.

"They put on a good act. But, when no one is around…or when they just don't care that someone is around, they go at it like a newly wed couple," the pale woman remarked.

"They seriously would do things like that in front of you?"

Shego shrugged. "Nothing too offensive to your pure senses, I'm sure. Some kisses, rolling around in their bunk, and things like that."

Kim nodded; that was actually more than she wanted to know. It was not that she was scandalized by two women doing that, considering what she now did with Shego. She was scandalized at knowing what another couple did behind closed doors with a witness around. Shego chuckled a bit, sensing that she had given Kim too much information. She threw her arm around the redhead.

"Come on, let's go for a drink together and then find our own comfortable hotel room," the older woman declared.

The captain sighed, but she did not decline. They went to a nearby tavern, where Kim ordered her usual tea. It caused a fuss, as was expected. Shego and Kim got some good playtime out of it because a few burly men took exception to Kim wanting to enjoy tea while in a bar. Then, of course, a couple of men had to join in because they wanted some time with the cute redhead. It then ballooned into a whole big thing when men upset that other men were being beaten by two women. This was Shego's favorite thing about being around the Captain—all of the trouble she unintentionally attracted by simply being herself.

During the brawl a curious sight caught Kim's attention from outside. She thought that she saw a dark fellow yanking a girl around on a chain, but she only saw a glimpse of it, so she could not be sure. She remembered what Ron told her about Monty Fiske and what he was doing with Yori, the girl he basically kidnapped from the East. She could not go investigate because she had to deal with the idiots that wanted to beat her head for having the nerve to drink tea in a bar.

"Princess, where have you been all my life?" Shego laughed as they finished laying out the group of rowdy men. She threw her arms around Kim and held her close, showing that she was quite serious about her words. She had never met someone so…similar to her. She felt so connected to the redhead, especially when she saw Kim fighting.

Kim yelped from the surprise weight hanging on her. "You just like a good fight," she stated, knowing that was the only reason Shego would ever be affectionate with her in public. It was also the only reason Shego would praise her in public too.

Shego grinned. "You got me there!" she proclaimed and then she leaned in very close to Kim's ear. "Now, how about we go find some place comfortable, so I can show you just how much I like a good fight?" she purred in a low tone.

Still rather naïve, Kim did not get the words per se, but the tone that they were said in made her face flush like it was painted red. Shego chuckled a bit from the sight and decided to take it a step further. She nipped Kim's ear lightly, causing that scarlet blush to become almost as dark as brick. The laugh continued on and Shego led a dumbfounded Kim out of the tavern; they did not pay their tab.

* * *

Ron was wandering the markets, not paying too much attention to people passing him by. Several people rushed by him, cries of "fight" making them move to a row of bars down the street. Instinctively, he knew that had something to do with his Captain and Shego since they could not go into a pub without causing a scene. Well, more Kim could not go into a tavern without causing some kind of commotion; it seemed like tea-haters of the world followed her around to start with her the second that she ordered tea. Although he was certain that was just an excuse men used to pick a fight with her wih the hopes of beating her before driving her to further ruin. His suspicions were confirmed about his crewmates when he heard people screaming that the "Red Devil" and the "Dragon" were fighting against some rag-tag group of sailors that obviously did not know who the two women were.

"I need a cool pirate nickname," Ron muttered, earning a skeptical look from Rufus. "Oh, come on! Something good like…Ron the Instant Death!" He struck an exaggerated kung-fu pose with that.

Rufus shook his head. "Uh-huh," the rodent squeaked.

"No? What about…" Ron trailed off as his attention was drawn to a specter in the distance. Well, he thought it was a specter, but he was willing to bet it was the real deal. "Yori…" he breathed the name like a prayer and a call for salvation. "YORI!" he now hollered of the din of the city, hoping to be heard.

The shout did not carry over the noise of the crowd, not that it mattered. Yori was out of sight before he even managed to get that yell out. She was gone within the blink of an eye, but he was still sure that she was truly there. He was not seeing things and she was not a phantom of any kind. Yori was at this port, which meant that he could finally get her away from Monkey Fist. But, in order to do that, he knew what he had to do.

"I gotta get the Captain!" Ron realized and he bolted off in the direction that he had seen all of those other excited, bloodthirsty men going. He knew that he could not take his former captain and a crew of kung-fu monkeys alone.

The blond easily found where the brawl had been, but he was told that he had missed the Red Devil and the Dragon of the Sea. He hollered at the top of his lungs in a panic, but had the presence of mind to ask which way the two women went; Kim would have been proud to see that he did not just panic when in a crunch as he would have done in the past. Apparently, his Captain was rubbing off on him after a short period of time together. After being told which way they went, he was off in that direction.

It was not too hard to find out where Kim and Shego were. They stood out in a crowd and all sorts of people were pointing him in the direction that they went. He ended up outside of a swanky looking hotel, which did not surprise him; he knew that Shego liked the finer things in life. Finding the duo in the hotel would prove much more difficult than anything else, Ron knew that.

"I think this would be easier if we find Kim first," Ron said to Rufus, who nodded in agreement.

The blond figured that the best thing to do with locating Kim would be to ask around, like before. Unfortunately, he found out that the hotel clerk was pretty serious about his job for some reason; the reason happened to be a threatening glare from Shego not too long ago about her not wanting to be disturbed. Ron sighed as he hit the unexpected road block, shoulders slumping as he tried to think of something better than just knocking on every door until he found Kim.

"Hey," Rufus squeaked as he got an idea.

"You thought of something, buddy?" Ron inquired.

Rufus nodded and then he pointed over to the register book that the clerk was flipping through. Ron arched an eyebrow, confused for a long moment. And then it was clear that it dawned on him what Rufus wanted to do, but he would need a distraction for it to work.

Ron nodded and Rufus leaped off his shoulder. The blond strolled off, pretending to look around. He "accidentally" walked into a bellboy, who was holding a few bags. The bags flew out of his hands and Ron then stumbled into a patron, who was not particularly happy about the move. The bags opened as soon as they hit the floor, the contents spilling all over. Ron started apologizing loudly and rapidly. The commotion drew the attention to the desk clerk, who wanted to smooth things over to avoid losing a customer. Ron tangled himself in some clothes while trying to get up, which caused more apologizes. The bellboy and patron started screaming at the blond oaf.

Ron glanced at the desk while attempting to get the clothing off of him. Rufus hopped up to the register and started going through it. The cook mentally smiled while seriously trying to figure out how to get all of the clothing off of him. Over all of the shouting, the sound of cloth tearing seemed to ricochet off of the walls. Ron chuckled sheepishly.

"Uh…that should fix up easily," he commented and the fuming bellboy took a swing at him.

Ron yelped and ducked, the punch sailing over his head. The bellboy's knuckles impacted the patron's chin. Before an apology could be uttered, the patron attacked the bellboy, who fought back. The desk clerk tried to break it up, hoping that the patron did not leave after all of this trouble. Ron eased away without any problem after that, snickering just a little bit at how clever he and his little partner were.

"Did you get it?" Ron asked Rufus as the bald rodent scurried back up his body and sat down on his shoulder.

Rufus nodded. "4-0-3," he reported.

The blond bolted up the steps of the building to the top floor. Finding the room with no problem, he tried the doorknob without thinking. It turned, so he barged right in.

"Kim—!" Ron swallowed the rest of his words because of the sight that greeted him.

It was not to so much that Kim and Shego were in bed together. It was not even that Shego had Kim pinned to the bed by the mouth. He actually did not think that was so strange since he knew what ship life could do to some men, so it kind of made sense that it could do that to women too. No, the part that had him swallowing his words, and almost his tongue, was the fact that Kim was aiming a pistol at him and Shego had one hand ablaze, ready to fry him.

Shego sighed when she saw who it was. "Ah, this buffoon has the worst timing!" she complained. She had only just found out how much she enjoyed Kim's company and now she had to deal with interruptions!

"Yes, Ron?" Kim asked with a sheepish sigh, face flushed from embarrassment and also from the heated activity that she was engaged in with Shego. She lowered her pistol and sighed again.

"Uh…wow…" the blond muttered, brain not exactly working yet.

Shego growled. "You better start talking, boy, or running. Take your pick!" Her hand flared higher.

"Uh…Captain…Monkey Fist is at this port," Ron reported, stammering slightly.

"Monkey Fist…" Kim echoed and then it dawned on her what he was really trying to tell her. "Where'd you see him?" she inquired, pushing herself up and trying to move Shego off of her.

"Where do you think you're going, Princess?" Shego gently demanded, forcing her weight back onto the redhead. That action earned her a glare from the younger woman.

"Business, Sparky. Now, let me up," Kim replied with a teasing grin. That got her a growl from Shego and the green-skinned woman leaned down, nipping at Kim's bottom lip.

"Hey, this is important!" Ron barked.

"Fine, fine, fine. I'm getting up," Shego groaned, rolling off of the captain.

With the helmsman on her feet, Kim was able to get up. She had to fasten and straighten out her shirt, but nothing more than that. Shego only had to fix her shirt since Kim was nowhere near as bold as she was. They exited the room without a word and walked across the hall. Ron was confused about what was going on as Kim knocked on the door.

"Hey, this is your Captain speaking: get your act together and get out here! We're going back to the ship!" Kim announced, speaking into the door.

"The hell!" Bonnie's voice screamed.

"She said stop fucking each other and get out here or we're coming in!" Shego announced. "And it won't be to join in!" she added with a wicked smirk and a wink toward the Captain. Kim colored quickly at that and Shego chuckled a bit.

Kim cleared her throat, hoping to rid herself of her embarrassment. She turned her attention to Ron. "Do you know where Wade is? If things get sticky, we don't want to end up leaving him behind or something," she pointed out.

"I know where he went," Ron confirmed.

"Go get him and meet us at the ship," Kim ordered.

"We'll get this two!" Shego beamed, smiling as she kicked the door in. Kim palmed her own face and shook her head while Bonnie and Monique screamed at the top of their lungs.

Ron pretended not to see anything and blamed the wolfish whistle on Rufus.

* * *

The Possible Company regrouped at their ship. Bonnie and Monique shared an aggravated look, which was directed at Shego. The helmsman only spared the gunners a pleased smirk, obviously still feeling good about herself. She told them if she could not have a "good time" then no one could, and she stuck by that. Wade could only wonder what was going on, but since it was between the ladies, he figured that it was best that he did not know.

"So, Cap'n, what's the plan here? Hell, for that matter, what's the problem?" Shego inquired.

"The problem has to do with the lord that we 'borrowed' this ship from," Kim replied.

"I get the feeling it's more than that. If it was just that, I think four of us would still be behind closed doors," the pale woman commented.

"It better be more than that!" Bonnie huffed, folding her arms tightly across her stomach.

"It's much more than that!" Ron chimed in, appearing thoroughly offended by things. Rufus shook his "fist" in outrage. The fact that he raised his voice caused the other crewmembers to blink hard from shock.

"Basically, we have a rescue mission to conduct. Lord Monty is holding a girl captive and we have to get her away from him," Kim informed the crew with a smile that they were all becoming familiar with.

"We're risking our necks for one girl because Stoppable wants us to?" Bonnie inquired with a scoff.

"Why the hell not? We did it for you—and not a day goes by I don't regret that look because of it," Shego remarked, pointing to the expression on their Captain's face. "She looked just like that before we walked in that auction house, you know?" A smirk stayed on the older warrior's face because she figured that at least they would not be bored. They were not going to be doing what she wanted, but they were going to be doing the next best thing more than likely.

"Can we not talk about that place and just figure out how we're going to get the girl from Monty because we all know that once Kim gets that face, we're going to do something crazy anyway?" Monique pointed out. They had seen that face enough at sea to know it spelled trouble, usually for the people they were up against.

"The lady makes a point," Shego concurred.

"Okay, first off, the girl's name is Yori," Ron informed them all.

"And second of all, we're getting her away from Monty today. We'll be more effective if we stay on land since we could easily cut any distance between us without worrying about a huge ocean to escape in," Kim stated soundly.

"And you have a plan, O Captain?" Shego inquired.

Kim put up a finger, like she had a bright idea. "I do not," she admitted. Did she ever? "I just think this battle would work out best for us on land. Right now, all I have worked out is finding Yori and getting her back to Ron."

Shego shrugged. "Sounds like a plan to me," she commented with a lopsided grin.

"So…we actually have no plan?" Monique asked to be sure. It was a reoccurring theme with their lot.

"None whatsoever," Wade confirmed.

Monique smiled. "Just the way I like it."

They all got moving before Bonnie could start complaining, which she did anyway. She and Monique had to grab more ammo for their guns and they took a couple of rifles, just in case their pistols were not enough. After that, the hunt was on for Lord Monkey Fist.

It was not that hard to find him, which kind of surprised most of the crew. Apparently, not only was it not an ordinary sight for a man to tug around an Eastern woman with a chain around her neck, but he had some distinguishing marks—monkey hands and feet. No one seemed too fond of him either, considering him creepy and arrogant, so they were eager to see the "Red Devil" and her crew take him on.

"I get the feeling most people don't like this guy," Shego commented.

"What makes you say that?" Monique inquired.

"They're pointing us to him with a glee in their eyes, like they want to see a brilliant ass-kicking," the green-skinned woman answered with a smirk, clearly showing that she planned on giving them what they wanted.

Thanks to the directions, it was easy to find their prize. Monkey Fist was sitting at a respectable tavern with papers in front of him and a half-eaten meal. Yori was standing behind him with her head down, but that did not hide the thick chain going from her neck to his hand. Kim and her crew all growled from the degrading sight. Even if Kim did not know that Yori was someone to Ron, she would have stepped up because of the chain.

"Excuse me, sir, but I think you have something that doesn't belong to you," Kim commented as she approached the scowling lord.

Dark eyes snapped up, glaring at Kim like the most violent hurricane. She did not back down, which only seemed to make the eyes that much darker, like staring into a bottomless abyss. Nothing in her demeanor changed, though, if anything she seemed more confident.

"Leave me be, wench," he ordered her in the harshest tone that he could mutter. It would have spent lesser folks fleeing as quickly as possible.

"Once again, I think you have something that doesn't belong to you. If you let her go, I might consider not whipping your ass," Kim declared, showing that she was spending too much time with Shego as far as her vocabulary went.

"You must be out of your mind, girl," the lord declared as Yori's head popped up to see who was crazy enough to try this demon of a man.

"We've been telling her that since we met her," Shego remarked, coming to stand behind the Captain. The rest of the crew stepped up behind her.

"Ron!" Yori's onyx eyes lit up as she saw the blond cook with the group.

"You!" Monkey Fist's voice boomed as he climbed to his feet…or monkey hands from what the Possible crew could see. Monique and Bonnie almost vomited from the sight, but they were able to keep it together.

"Yeah, me! Now let Yori go or this might get a little messy," Ron proclaimed, feeling much more courageous than he had in the time that he spent with Monkey Fist now that he had friends that would stand with him.

"You think I'm worried about you? You should be more worried about what I'm going to do with you when I get you back to the ship, especially since I know you had something to do with my other ship going missing! Ninja monkeys, attack!" Monkey Fist ordered.

"Those are words I never expected to hear in a row like that," Shego remarked.

"Yeah, well, I'm sure your eyes never expected to see the call answered either," Kim commented as a swarm of monkeys dressed in black seemed to pop up out of nowhere.

"It really is never a dull moment," Shego declared, dropping into a fighting stance just as the monkeys attacked.

While Shego "played" around with the monkeys, Bonnie and Monique opened fire on the attacking primates. Kim charged Monkey Fist while Ron went to get Yori. Monkey Fist was caught off-guard by Kim's skill and she hit him with enough force to get him to drop the chain that connected him to Yori.

"You little fool!" Monkey Kist declared and he went at Kim with vigor. He was very surprised to find her defending against him with ease. The fact that she smiled at him while doing it enraged him more.

"Shego, can you give us a hand over here!" Ron called, yanking at Yori's collar, wanting to free her.

Shego glanced up to see what he was doing and shook her head. Flipping over to him, she landed and sliced through the metal collar as if it was paper. Yori yelped, but by then the collar was already on the floor. Shego was back in the fight by the time Yori realized that she was free. She and Ron then wasted no time going after the monkey ninjas, dropping them with almost the same ease as Shego did.

"Oh, yeah, this is just how I envisioned spending my day," Shego growled as she dropped monkey after monkey.

"Trust me, this was how everyone envisioned it, I'm sure!" Monique sarcastically replied as she fired one of her pistols at the monkey. She and Bonnie were using non-lethal ammo that Wade developed. They knew that he developed it from some sea life poisons, but they never bothered to ask him exactly what it was. They just knew that it left men and monkeys alike stunned and drained for enough time to accomplish their goals. Now if only Wade would develop a better gun, they would be in business, she thought as she pulled out another pistol since they still only had a single shot for each one. Little did she know, but he was working on that.

"Screw this," Shego decided, knowing how to get things moving much faster.

Hands flared and Shego practically walked through the wave of monkeys, making her way over to Monkey Fist. Honestly, Kim looked like she had everything in hand, but Shego wanted to get back to the ship and find another port, especially since they now had Ron's precious Yori. Really, there was no reason to hang around anymore.

"Sorry, but I need to cut in, Princess!" Shego quipped, moving right in between the battling pair and slashing at Monkey Fist.

"I got it, Shego! And that was the worst pun ever!" Kim huffed, tempted to kick the other fighter in the back for interrupting her battle.

"What? That was brilliant!" Shego argued, dodging a kick and moving in with one of her own.

Kim was not ready to yield the battle to her helmsman, so now Monkey Fist had to deal with the two warrior women. He growled when he noticed that they were smiling as they assaulted him. It was almost like they were toying with him, he silently noted. The growl turned into a whimper and he suddenly dropped to the floor. Kim and Shego looked at each other, silently asking what the hell just happened.

"We don't have time for your kung-fu crap! I have needs that need to be met today and, damn it, I will have that!" Bonnie declared, a smoking pistol in her hand, pointed at the space that Monkey Fist had been standing in.

Kim rolled her eyes while Shego broke out laughing, long and hard. Bonnie quickly realized that Shego was probably going to use that outburst against her, but right now, she did not care. She wanted to get to a safe port, relax for a few days, and spend sometime with Monique that involved screaming, but not at each other for once.

Silently, they all agreed with Bonnie's attitude, though. They quickly finished up with the monkeys and made sure to tie Monkey Fist up as best they could. On their way back to the ship, Bonnie and Monique let it slip to some Navy officials that were willing to listen to them about the outlaw tied up at the tavern. Monkey Fist was arrested and on his way to prison while the Possible crew was on their way to the next port.

* * *

Next time: the crew stops to clean the ship. What could possibly go wrong?


	16. Gone Fishin'

I don't own these characters; Disney does.

16: Gone Fishin'

Yori had no problem with joining up with the Possible Company. She signed the Articles of Agreement on Ron's word and wasted no time helping the ship run properly and orderly. She fit right in with the crew because there was almost no way _not _to fit in with the group. It helped since she knew what life was like on a ship. One of the best things for her was the fact that no one made mention of her time with Monkey Fist. They just went on as if they picked her in a market or at any port…or even as if she fell out of the sky and belonged with them. It was a great comfort to her, but she did not mention it because it would involve her having to bring up that she had not just been picked up at a market or fallen from the sky.

"I think we might need to find some place to park the ship," Kim commented out of the blue.

"Is that the nautical term?" Monique teased the Captain, knowing that it was not and Kim was always the first one to get on their cases whenever they used terms that did not belong on a ship.

"I think what the Captain would like is for us to careen the ship as soon as possible," Shego chimed in, chuckling a bit because Kim was blushing at her blunder. They had only careened the ship once before. It was not a pretty sight since half of them had never done it before. Hell, Monique and Bonnie did not even think it was possible to pull the ship onto the beach. Once the ship was on the beach, Monique and Bonnie were then confused on how they could tip the ship and even if they did, they did not understand how they would get the ship back up and into the water. Bonnie then complained through out the whole process of cleaning the hull of the ocean muck and also how badly everything smelled, including the things that they used to patch the boards and coat the hull. They all silently hoped that careening the ship this time would be less of an exercise in not killing each other and just a simple, necessary task to keep them on the water.

"I'm not as nautical as I pretend to be…" the redhead confessed. "I haven't been on a ship as long as it seems," she added. This was safe to say because Bonnie was below decks, sleeping like a baby.

Shego and Monique laughed a bit. Kim knew that Shego would tease her about it later, probably make some crack about teaching her how to live on water (it was actually turned out to be a joke about how to speak when wet, which Kim barely got). Attention was drawn from the Captain when Ron and Yori emerged from below deck.

"Hey, Ron, you got Yori all caught up on our situation?" Kim asked, turning to the cook.

"She's up to speed on everything and she's still on board with us. So, how close are we to the end of the map?" Ron inquired.

Kim laughed. "Same place as before, Ron. We're going to retreat to the islands in order to careen the ship. If we don't do that soon, we're going to floating on pieces of the mast," she remarked.

"Since I don't swim that well, that doesn't sound too good," Ron said with a laugh. Rufus nodded with that; apparently, he did not swim too well either. Really, it was not too much about not swimming well, it was about swimming in the middle of the ocean.

"If we go to the islands, we can get help with it too," Monique pointed out. She did not want to spend as much time careening the ship that they had before because it was a chore that she truly hated. Between the smell and just the stuff that they needed to learn, it was enough to make her projectile vomit, which she was not interested in doing.

"That was my plan. I'd like to check on our hard work too. Never know, the New Islanders might need something and we could be able to help them," Kim added in. The "New Islanders" were what they called the slaves that they rescued from slave ships and brought to the islands. Some of the New Islanders had taken a few ships that the Possible crew salvaged from their prizes and the New Islanders took those back to their homeland. But, some stayed on the islands and made that their new home, complete with a few villages and leaders. Kim and her crew checked in on them from time to time and also led new people there every now and then.

"At least we'll be on land for a couple of days," Monique said, which was always something to look forward to as far as she was concerned.

"Yeah, that way you can really keep Bonnie out of our hair, right?" Shego remarked with a smart-aleck smirk on her face.

"I shouldn't have to if you keep the Captain properly entertained," the chocolate-skinned woman shot back with an equally smart smile.

Shego laughed a bit, learning to enjoy at least some members of the crew. Yori looked between them, certain that she missed something. She turned to Ron for an explanation, but he just shook his head.

"I'll catch you up on that later… After I figure out what exactly happened," Ron said. He was not sure how, when, or even why the female crewmembers turned to each other for intimate companionship. The best he could come up with that it was lonely out on the sea, but even that did not cover Monique and Bonnie in his opinion. In fact, he believed that Monique should be granted some type of medal for being able to put up with Bonnie on anything beyond a professional level. Actually, he thought the same should be said of the Captain with putting up with Shego. These were seriously tough women, and by that he meant Kim and Monique.

With directions on where to go, Shego put the ship on the path for the islands. She figured that once they careened the ship and made sure it was sea-worthy, it would be a straight run for the end of the map. Kim believed the same thing too. They just needed to make sure the ship could and would make it that distance. Of course, they would still take prizes on the way.

For the trip, Kim decided to get to know Yori better. She found that the black-haired woman was not as open to talk with anyone aside from Ron, no matter how much Ron assured her that it was safe to be carefree around Kim and the rest of the crew. Shego knew what to do about getting Yori to talk, though.

"Hey, Princess!" the helmsman called to the Captain.

"Shego, I have asked that you not call me that," Kim stated. Not bothering to point out that she had asked Shego not to call her that when the pale woman first started, but never anytime recently.

"That's not what you said last night," Shego purred, teasing smirk adorning her face.

A blush instantly flared onto Kim's face. "Shego!" she sort of squeaked, which made the older woman laugh aloud. "Cut it out," the redhead ordered in a hiss as she stood next to Shego. Seeing that command was not getting the amused look off of Shego's face, Kim resorted to another tactic that she had learned from Vivian. "Or there'll be no more of what there was last night," she added.

It was Shego's turn to squeak and a frown quickly replaced that smile. "You wouldn't dare!" she growled, but that look in those olive eyes totally contradicted her.

"Try me," Kim said. "Now, what did you call me over for?"

Shego continued to scowl. "If you want to get Yori to take to you like everyone else in this crazy crew has, try speaking another language that she speaks. One that you and I talk quite frequently."

For a long moment, Kim was lost. Shego was thankful that despite things the Captain was still quite innocent because she would have been pissed off if Kim's mind went to the gutter. But, it was easy to tell that dirty thought never even crossed Kim's mind…however, another realization did dawn on her.

"You're right, Shego!" Kim declared. "Thank you!" The suggestion earned the helmsman a kiss on the cheek.

The brief kiss kept any smart remarks from escaping Shego's mouth and Kim was off. Before long, Kim and Yori were sparring with each other. As Shego predicted, the fighting session did help Yori feel more comfortable with Kim and they were able to start a dialogue between them. By the time they landed on one of the larger islands, Kim and Yori were almost as close as Kim and Monique.

Shego shook her head. "Is there no one on Earth that Kimmie can't befriend?" she wondered aloud.

"Bonnie," Ron reminded the plasma-wielder.

"Doesn't count," Shego waved it off and glanced at the aforementioned brunette. "She's not human."

"You're one to talk, you green—" Bonnie was cut off.

"Hey!" Kim chimed in. "For once, I would like to not seem like the schoolmarm in a class of delinquents!"

Shego made a mocking face, but was smart enough to not let Kim see. They managed to disembark without a further incident. They walked the short distance to one of few villages on the island. As they always were when they came back, they were impressed with what the New Islanders were able to do with their new home in such a short amount of time. The village was larger than they recalled and the huts seemed to be reinforced and much sturdier than before.

It was not hard to enlist help with getting the ship pulled onto the beach. Kim had suggested that the ship should be careened in a nearby lagoon because it was easier, but there were several objections to that. The Possible Crew thought that was weird because the lagoon would have been the easiest place to lay the ship its side to get to the hull since there was plenty of space there.

"What's the problem with the lagoon?" Ron asked since he was always against anything that was not the easiest way possible.

"And why do they keep saying 'monster'?" Shego inquired. Spending enough time around the New Islanders, she had picked up a little bit of a few languages that they spoke, but nothing to carry on a conversation.

"Apparently, there's a monster at the lagoon and that's why they don't want to go because the monster has tried to kill several people and turned a few into monsters. Those…killed themselves…" Monique translated as best she could, sounding somber in the end. It was a little hard to figure out what they were saying since they were talking over each other about the lagoon. Not to mention, they were speaking in more than one language. Monique could only follow the one that she knew.

Shego scoffed and rolled her eyes. "They actually believe nonsense like that!"

"Says the woman with green skin who throws fire from her hands!" Monique retorted with an insulted snort. "Is a monster in the lagoon less believable than that?"

Shego's eyes narrowed. "Touché," she conceded.

"They want us to stay away from the lagoon," Monique continued to report and then she threw her hands over her mouth when she realized what she said. Eyes from the Possible Crew all shot over to their Captain. Kim was already walking away. "Should we flip to see who goes after her?" Monique inquired with a sigh.

"We really should just stop taking her places. The buffoon gets into less trouble with left on his own," Shego huffed, motioning to Ron.

"Hey!" The blonde and Rufus both took offense to that comment.

"Don't look so upset. I do recall our last step off the beaten path was because of you," Shego reminded him.

"Nobody asked for your help," Ron grumbled, folding his arms across his chest.

"Uh…guys, as much as I know we all love a good argument, Kim is gone already," Wade pointed out, thumbing in the direction that Kim had been in.

The whole crew, minus Bonnie, groaned aloud. They stomped off, leaving _Anything's Possible_ in the trusted hands of the New Islanders. A minor hold up happened when Monique had to come back and drag Bonnie along.

"Have you no sense of honor?" Monique hissed in anger.

"She walked off on her own. She probably can handle it anyway," Bonnie dismissed the whole matter.

"Still, we need to be there. Just in case she can't handle it. She's as human as the rest of us…" Monique trailed off, realizing how weird that sounded with the company that they were working with. Sometimes, she thought that they might actually be the only humans among the group. Hell, she did not want to share that she thought Bonnie was a little odd with the way that she had taken to the guns and was such a crack shot with them so quickly and easily. Even that seemed a little unnatural.

"Fine," Bonnie sighed dramatically, as if it pained her to follow along with the rest of the crew. "She can probably handle it, though," she grumbled. Captain Kimmie had proven that she could hold her own in a fight, after all.

Monique did not argue that and just tugged her lover off to the rest of the crew. They were able to catch up with Wade, but Shego had left everyone in the dust. She complained for the whole time that she moved, but she never noticed that she was complaining to herself.

"Damn it, Princess, always gotta be impulsive and save the world and everything! This gets us into so much trouble and you just run off and do it anyway!" Shego huffed, still running at full speed to get to the lagoon. She had to go through the thick jungle to get there; it was faster than traveling the length of the beach. She did not even notice that the New Islanders had cut a path from the beach to the lagoon, but she came onto it sometimes and veered off of it thanks to her worry. "Can't let you out of my sight! Knowing you, I'd blink and you'd be caught by the Navy and wearing one of their best ropes by the time I opened them again!" she snorted, drawing closer to the lagoon.

"Shego!" Kim called out, letting the helmsman know that her griping had been heard.

"I'm coming, Kimmie," Shego replied. "I'm kicking your ass when I get there too! You gotta stop taking off like that!"

"No, Shego, stay away! Don't come any closer!" the redhead tried to warn her crewmember. Only after the words left her mouth did she realize those would assure that Shego would come closer. She might as well beg Shego to join her, she thought.

As expected, Shego emerged from the woods and immediately caught sight of Kim. The Captain was pinned to a tree, but Shego could not clearly see how. Charging over, despite the fact that Kim kept warning her away, the pale warrior saw that the redhead was stuck to the tree by some substance that appeared to be dark green tar. It smelled a lot worse than tar, though.

"Princess, what happened here?" Shego inquired with a teasing grin. She was going to let her Captain hear about this for weeks to come. She then flexed her claws, planning to cut Kim free of her prison…after making fun of her.

"Damn it, Shego! Listen to me and get the hell out of here before it's too late!" Kim hollered.

"It is too late!" a male voice declared.

Before Shego could even consider who or what the voice was, she found her arm pinned to the tree right next to Kim's head with the same substance keeping Kim hostage. Screaming in frustration, she tried to pull her limb away. Kim glared at the older woman.

"See! If you just listened to me…" Kim huffed.

"Now is not the time for I-told-you-so, Princess!" Shego pointed out. "Now, what the hell is going on?"

"I don't really know the answer to that," Kim confessed.

"You're trespassing is what happened!" the male voice proclaimed, and then Shego was struck with more of the sticky goo.

Shego found herself stuck right on top of Kim's body. If it was not for the situation, she definitely would have said something smart and sexually charged, but at the moment, she was just annoyed. She struggled against her disgusting bonds, but found that she was unable to move.

"Pumpkin," Shego said sweetly, speaking to the redhead. "What the hell is going on?" she demanded.

"I don't know!" Kim hissed, irked that Shego could not follow orders. "You know, by the pirate code, you're supposed to listen to me in command situations."

"How the hell was I supposed to know this was a combat situation?" Shego huffed.

"Maybe by the fact that I'm stuck to a tree! How often do you see me stuck to a tree?"

"I thought it was just some accident! You know how careless you can be!"

"I am not careless!"

A frustrated groan echoed through the lagoon. "Could you two shut up!" the male voice demanded and then suddenly the owner of the voice appeared out of thin air.

To their credit, Kim and Shego did not appear impressed or frightened despite that the owner of the voice was some kind of frog creature. They were not entirely sure what he was, but honestly they did not care. He could communicate and seemed to have a human brain, which meant they planned to give him a very human ass-kicking as soon as they were free.

"The hell is your problem?" Shego demanded, talking to the creature. Turning as best she could, she tried her best to get a good look at him. All she could see was the deep green scales of the side of his body.

"You're trespassing on my island!" he declared.

"Your island?" Kim echoed, sounding somewhat puzzled and pretty upset. She was not enjoying being held prisoner.

"Yes, my island! I'm sick of all of you humans just coming in and acting like this is your home! I own this whole thing and you'll learn that!" he proclaimed with a growl.

"You're hurting people and we're here to stop you!" Kim declared.

"You can't stop me. I'm going to get rid of all of those stupid humans, one way or another!" he informed them.

"We just meet all the crazies, don't we?" Shego asked.

"We sail with all the crazies," Kim stated.

"Hey! Show me some respect! I've got you at my mercy right now! I could kill you if I felt like it!" the creature roared, agitated that they were not paying him real mind.

Green eyes rolled. They were pretty sure that they were trapped by a little man with delusions of grandeur. He quickly confirmed that as he started ranting about being a god and the humans not respecting him or his island. Kim tried not to giggle as Shego made mocking faces as the ramblings continued, but eventually that got boring for them.

"Where the hell is the rest of the crew? I couldn't have been that far ahead of them," Shego said. She was ready to go by now.

"Do you really want them to find us like this? Bonnie would never shut up about it," Kim pointed out.

"You're right."

"Hey, I'm talking here!" the creature barked at them. "Now, if you worship me as your god, the great Gill, then I'll let you go and you can help me get the rest of the humans."

"I can't see his face. Is he serious?" Shego asked Kim, who had to move a little to look directly at the frog creature.

"Looks like it," Kim confirmed.

"Great god Gill can kiss my ass," Shego proudly declared.

"Then I can just kill you!" Gill hollered, enraged by their attitudes of complete disrespect and utter indifference to their situation.

Gill took a step toward the trapped pair, not that Shego could see. Kim did not even flinch or move when he did. He raised his hands in a threatening fashion, but Kim still did not see bothered. Frowning at the lack of reaction, Gill showed the talons on his hands, but this did not change the bored look in the olive eyes watching him.

"All you have to do is submit to me and you'll live," Gill told them one last time.

"Did he miss the 'kiss my ass' comment?" Shego asked curiously. Kim only shrugged.

Gill let out a frustrated cry, never having to deal with such fearless and annoying humans before. He was about to bring his hand down to cut through Shego's head when suddenly the area was surrounded by smoke. Shego almost snickered when she heard Gill let out a surprised holler of pain.

"Calvary's arrived," Kim pointed out.

"Let's just hope it's doesn't have Bonnie in it," Shego added. After all, Bonnie would joke about this until the day they all died. And then she would also see Bonnie in Hell and have to deal with it then.

The Captain and helmsman could not tell what was going on, but from the sound of things, it did not seem like Gill was winning the battle. While the smoke covered everything, Shego decided to flare her plasma and cut herself and Kim free. By the time she did that, the cover started to clear and they could see Ron battling it out with Gill.

"Not bad," Shego observed, speaking about the blonde. She always thought his style was sloppy and stiff with too many holes in both his attacks and defense. Most of the time, he looked very awkward to her, but he was holding off Gill, so Gill probably could not fight at all.

"Better than not bad," Kim scolded the older woman. "Ron is good at kung-fu. Why don't you want to give him credit?" she inquired, even though she knew why. Shego did not like to give anyone credit, especially if she could beat the person in a fight.

Ron was holding Gill off for a few moments, but then Gill suddenly vanished. Ron was on his back and bleeding seconds after that. Gill could be heard cackling, but he did not reappear. Not that he needed to.

Yori came out of nowhere, dropping out of a tree, landing right on top of Gill from what Kim and Shego could tell. The groan and body imprint in the sand made it clear that she landed on somebody.

"Get off of me!" Gill ordered, remaining invisible.

"I do not think so," Yori replied, dropping down and grabbing Gill into a hold. It seemed weird because it looked like she was wrestling with herself.

"OW! Let go!"

"I think not," Yori answered, applying more pressure. He screamed in sheer agony and the pain was so intense that he was forced to reappear. He could not maintain anything with the ache coursing through him now.

"Okay, she's good," Shego commented.

"Really good," Kim conceded, but she knew that from sparring with the sable-haired woman.

"Do you surrender?" Yori asked her prisoner in a very calm tone.

"I'm a god! I'll kill you!" Gill yelled.

Yori applied a bit more pressure, coming very close to breaking his arm. She was pretty sure that he would not be able to use it for a few days. She was tempted to break it after hearing him go on about killing people.

"Let's get something to restrain him. Yori can hold him down for hours," Ron commented, dusting himself off.

"You know, her skill level makes me wonder what the hell she sees in you," Shego remarked, speaking to the blond.

"Then I guess you know how I feel with you and Kim," Ron countered. This actually left Shego speechless for a few seconds.

* * *

By the time the rest of the crew showed up, Gill was tied up tight and screaming about how he was going to kill all of the humans. Bonnie was annoyed that she had to run all that way, knowing that she would not be needed, but then the way Monique smiled, seeing their friends were safe kept Bonnie from voicing her opinion. Gill was taken to the nearest village for them to decide how to deal with him since he was threatening them and had caused the deaths of people in their village.

The villagers threw a feast in the honor of the Possible crew for stopping Gill, but the celebration was cut short when the villagers decided to execute Gill for his actions. Kim was the one that came to his defense. She was against murder of any kind, be it in revenge or in cold blood. It was all the same to her.

It was agreed that Gill would be chained and locked in the hull of _Anything's Possible_. From there, they would take him to the nearest port and leave him in exile there. Kim knew that he was likely to be caged and put on display, but that was preferable to slaying him.

"Kim certainly is a remarkable woman," Yori commented, speaking to Ron later that night. The crew members had all been allotted shelter for their brief stay on the island. The best thing about it was that they all had huts to themselves, so Yori and Ron were alone in their own.

"She's a huge step up from Monkey Fist. Not like any pirate we've come across," Ron said, holding Yori close to him. They were sharing a large cot with a straw mattress and feather pillow.

"I agree. I am glad to sail with her. She has a sense of justice and fairness so many lack today. She does rush off too easily, but even there, I get the feeling that she would have been all right," Yori said.

"Probably. You'll see more of her antics, but I know you'll get along great with her. She's already my best friend, along with you anyway. She's got a good heart and I'm happy we're with her."

Yori nodded. She trusted Ron's judgment, but she also could tell for herself that Kim was good. She could not wait to see what else was ahead for them for following such a good-natured, good-humored captain.

* * *

Next time: the crew tries to get out of the rain and into more trouble as they come to another island "paradise."


	17. Round shot

I don't own these characters; Disney does.

17: Round shot

After careening the _Anything's Possible_ and dropping Gill off at the nearest port, the Possible Company was on their way again. They did not wonder about Gill, especially since Shego had taken charge of being rid of him. When she had returned, she did not bother to explain what she did with him, but the look on her face let them all know that he would never bother anyone—especially the New Islanders and the Possible Company—ever again. She was not counting money, so they were at least confident that she had not sold him to someone, but what happened to be him would become a mystery among them after that.

While they were at the port, the crew learned that they were growing in infamy, more so than most other pirate companies because they were such an anomaly. They did not kill sailors when they took a prize, even when they took the whole ship; they often took the whole ship because they had to get the human cargo to the New Islands. The sailors were often dumped some place that they would be spotted by other ships or at close ports or even just in the ocean where they would be able to swim to land. Related to that was the fact that much of the time, the Possible Company hit slavers; this hurt the slave business immensely.

Slavers wanted everyone in the Possible crew daggling from a rope and then drawn and quartered. The uproar caused even the Emperor to get involved. Now, there were rumors going around that the Emperor was already after the Possible crew because they were hurting trade and business within the colonies worse than any other pirate company. There were Naval forces specifically out just for them. Of course, the pirates took this as a huge compliment; not many pirates ever got Naval forces that were charged with just finding them. In fact, they toasted themselves at the nearest tavern when they found out.

Another thing they toasted was finding out that Jack Hench, the owner of Hench Co., was taking a huge hit to the pocket book because of them. He had hired out mercenaries to find and do unspeakable things to them. They were not worried about that. They just looked at it as a job well done, and it made them want to work harder on taking prizes.

There was only one side effect to pirating and Shego was the only one in the Company that knew. The more ships that they took, the worse Kim's nightmares seem to get. Holding her at night did not work as well as it did when Shego first found the redhead tossing in her bed. Now, Kim would thrash against her, sometimes going so far as to punching and kicking her, as if trying to get away. Nights on land were better than those at sea, so Shego often found herself looking forward toward docking just for a good night's sleep.

* * *

"Shego, you okay?" Monique inquired as she noticed the helmsman nodding off while guiding the ship. She was hanging from the rigging, checking everything out. There were dark clouds roaming close to them, so she wanted to make sure everything was secure.

"I'm fine," Shego lied. She rubbed her eyes, trying her best to stay awake. Her ribs were hurting from where Kim had hit her last night. For some reason, she could not let the redhead go, no matter how painful it was to hold onto her. She hoped that eventually her embrace would be all Kim would need to calm down and make it through the night.

Monique did not argue, even though it was clear that was not the truth. She just knew that the pale warrior would not explain and Shego would only get annoyed if pushed to talk. Unfortunately for Shego, at that moment Bonnie wandered close enough to hear the conversation and to see the expression in the helmsman exhausted emerald eyes. Bonnie grinned, knowing that she had something to use against Shego.

"You look worn out, Shego. I didn't know Captain Kimmie had it in her," Bonnie remarked, evil smirk covering her face and causing a devilish glint in her eyes.

Shego snarled, but did not say anything. She preferred that Bonnie think Kim was a tiger in the bed than for her to know that Kim suffered night terrors because she was very aware that the gunner would use that knowledge for evil. Bonnie did not let up about things either, even when Kim came out to talk to the crew.

"Hey, Possible, don't you think you need to lay off Shego before she lands us on some rocks?" Bonnie taunted as the whole crew gathered around the Captain.

Kim's brow furrowed. "What are you talking about?"

"Nothing!" Monique insisted, glaring at the tanned female, silently demanding her to shut her mouth. Blue eyes rolled.

"Shego can barely keep her eyes open. I'm surprised we don't hear her screaming at night," Bonnie continued on.

"Screaming?" Kim echoed in a confused tone and she turned her attention to Shego. The dark circles around her eyes stood out in her pale skin, which actually seemed piqued. Shame rushed through Kim for not noticing sooner. Instead, she had been worrying about the next prize that they were going to take.

"I'm fine, Kimmie. Don't listen to Bonnie. You know she's full of it," Shego pointed out. Her voice did not even have the same impact, Kim noted. The Captain decided to speak with Shego in private because she knew it would just embarrass Shego if she showed concern over the older woman right now.

Kim nodded, even though she did plan to confront Shego about her appearance later on. "Okay, I wanted to talk to you guys because I think we all can see those thick, black clouds ahead. I don't think we want to sail into that storm," she said.

"Not if we can help it," Wade agreed. While he was proud of his work on _Anything's Possible_, he was not looking to tempt fate by having the ship what looked like a thunder storm.

"There is an island nearby that we should be able to get to before the storm gets to us or before we get to the storm," Kim continued.

"I sense a 'but' coming," Ron commented, getting a nod from Rufus, who was sitting on his shoulder as usual.

"You sense right. The island is held by a viceroy for the Empire. From what I gathered at the last port we were at and from the library I have growing, he's not the nicest person on the planet either," Kim stated.

"Lemme guess, oppressing the natives?" Shego said. If she had a crown for every viceroy that abused his power in a colony, she would never have to take a prize again in her life. She sometimes wondered where the Emperor found all of these wretched curs that worked for him.

"Using them as slave labor, but no one is quite sure on what. He's also known for firing on ships from his castle when they approach. And, yes, I said castle," the redhead replied.

"Great, another little man with delusions of grandeur." They all felt that way.

Knowing what was going to happen, they all manned their stations and pressed on for the island, hoping to beat the storm that was creeping closer. They actually saw the stone castle before they saw anything else on the island. A little after seeing the castle, they heard a shot fired. Several splashes sounded a little ahead of them.

"Was that grapeshot?" Bonnie wondered aloud. She suspected it because they had only heard one shot, but a lot of splashes. They rarely experienced grapeshot (1) fire, but then again, they were not often fired upon because they could sneak up close to their enemies. No one else really cared about what type of ammo was being fired at them, but the distance the shots were traveling.

"He's got guns that reach this far?" Monique shouted in disbelief. She thought that _Anything's Possible_ had the best long range guns thanks to Wade, but it would seem that she was wrong.

"Then let's show him our guns!" Bonnie declared with a confident grin, rushing to her cannon. She wasted no time arming her gun and returning fire. As expected, Bonnie's shot was spot on, hitting the broadside of the castle.

"That's all she needs—a gun fight," Monique sighed, shaking her head while going to her own gun.

Everyone went to their guns; Yori even had a cannon specialized for her. Shego continued at the helm, avoiding the shots that she could and doing a very good job of that. There were not that many shots coming at them, so it was not too difficult to get out of the way of the few cannonballs that did come near them.

"Princess, is there a dock or something on this island that I should be aiming for?" Shego inquired as they drew closer to the spot of land.

"There should be one, but it's possible that he removed it. He fires on any ship that comes near here, friend or foe, so I doubt anybody's docked here for a while," Kim answered.

"Friend or foe?" Shego echoed. She could only wonder what they were getting themselves into now. But, as a light rain started to fall and thunder sounded in the distance, she stopped caring.

The _Anything's Possible_ crept closer to land, despite the cannon fire. Shego kept her eyes peeled for some place to dock, but found that there was none. Her sharp eyes were able to make out what looked like a dock, but upon slightly closer inspection found out that it was not suitable for the ship. It was broken up and close to being nothing more than a pile of wood. The only thing that made her confident that they would at least be able to tie the ship down there was the fact that there was a small boat already tied down.

"Kimmie, I think we're going to have to anchor and then just tie the ship to that dock over there," Shego announced, pointing off to the left.

"Sounds good, if you can get us there without beaching us," Kim replied.

Shego rolled her eyes and snorted. "I'm not new to this," she reminded the Captain.

"Never said you were!" Kim replied in a sickeningly sweet tone with an equally saccharine smile.

The pale warrior snorted again, but did not say anything. Cannon fire roared over the thunder in the distance and Shego maneuvered _Anything's Possible_ as close to the beach as she could without running the ship ashore. Best of all, she found some mangrove trees to hide the ship behind, keeping the ship out of sight of the cannon fire from the castle. Ron went to drop the anchor and the crew got off to tie _Anything's Possible_ to the trees to make sure it did not get washed away in the upcoming storm.

After securing their ship, they rowed their lifeboat to the beach and dragged the boat into the jungle, not wanting it to be seen either. From there, they needed to decide if they wanted to go to the castle or just look for shelter from the storm.

"I don't like being shot at, so I say we go take that castle," Bonnie declared. Not to mention, she was willing to bet that the castle had all sorts of luxuries that they would not find in the jungle, like large beds.

"For once, I'm with the loud mouth," Shego remarked, pointing her thumb at the tan woman. "That bastard almost put holes in the ship too!" Since she spent most of her time steering the ship, she felt pretty close to it because she knew a lot of its quirks. If it got as much as scratched by some temperamental viceroy, she would have marched up to that castle and cut the man's tongue out, so she would not have to deal with his begging when she started really cutting into him.

"I think that storm is looking pretty bad. We probably should just try to get out of the rain while it's just rain we're worrying about," Monique reasoned.

"Sounds logical," Wade agreed.

Ron glanced at the distance between the castle and them. A growl escaped his stomach, loud enough for the rest of the crew to look at him. "Uh…unless we run into some fruit trees, I vote we go to the castle because I'm sure there'll be plenty of food there," he stated with a sheepish grin.

"I would just like to get out of the rain," Yori finally chimed in. She was still getting accustomed to having a say in what they all did, so she tended to speak up after Ron did because his having in opinion reminded her that she could have one too.

"Food!" Rufus voted.

No one even bothered to ask Kim because they knew what her vote was. Castle won, so they started marching toward the stone fortress. The rain grew heavier as they walked, but they did not stray from their march. The wind started to pick up, so they started to rethink things because the castle was still a bit of a distance away. It was not until movement caught their eyes did they stop.

"Guys, do you see that?" Monique asked in a whisper. She knew that if she saw it, then the fighters in the group probably saw even more.

"We're being stalked," Shego realized with a sneer. "Well, might as well go see what they want," she declared with a dangerous smile.

Kim shrugged, sounded like a good idea to her. Shego and Kim led the way as the group made their way deeper into the brush. They were not surprised when a small band of ten came at them. As soon as the group appeared, they were pretty much on their backs with the Possible Company standing over them.

"That was boring," Shego sighed, blowing on her nails. Her tone earned her a glance from the Captain, but nothing further.

Kim turned her attention to crew that they dropped. They were a motley-looking, mixed crew, not just Natives as she expected. She was not the only one to notice this oddity either.

"Uh…are you guys from the Empire?" Ron asked curiously.

"Yeah. We were supposed to open a trade post here," one of them floored men answered.

"And…?" Kim pressed them to continue.

"Duff Killigan was supposed to be the viceroy. Unfortunately, as soon as we landed here, he decided on a change of plans…"

"How so?" Kim glared down at them, silently ordering someone to let them in on what the hell was going on.

"He had all these explosives and just took over. Threatened us and the Natives," the man paused to give a nod toward a brown-skinned man also on his back. "Made us build that damned castle and construct a golf course for him."

"A golf course?" Kim echoed in a puzzled tone and then she turned back to look at her crew. They all shrugged collectively.

"I don't even know what the hell golf is," Shego commented.

"I never heard of it either," Ron admitted.

Kim scratched her head. "I think it's a new game a lot of nobles in the Empire play. I'm not too sure how it works, though. Should I even ask why he wants you to build a golf course?"

"Obviously the man likes golf," Bonnie pointed out.

"How about we all get out of the rain and we can explain it to you?" one of the grounded men proposed.

It seemed like a good idea, so the pirates went off with them to dryer accommodations. A settlement was not too far and they were indeed much dryer than outside. They also were warmer with enough food to keep Ron and Rufus from complaining. A couple of the men brought the pirates up to speed as to what was going on around the island since Killigan decided to make the island his own private golf course.

Apparently, he did fire at any ship that came near the island. He had modified both his cannons and the ammunition loaded into the cannons. He was able to keep away ships from the Imperial Navy with explosive shells. It was pretty obvious that the Emperor was not too concerned with Killigan or the island because the Navy rarely approached the island and if they did, it was usually only one or two ships. Nothing imposing. It would seem that island was just abandoned by the Emperor, as were the people trapped there with the insane viceroy.

"As soon as the rain lightens up, we'll go to the castle and try to talk some sense into Killigan," Kim decided.

"I doubt that'll work," the man argued. They had tried all sorts of things with the viceroy and nothing worked. He was sure that the man would only destroy these young people like he did the Navy ships.

"You haven't seen the Captain talk," Shego remarked.

"She can be quite reasonable if given the chance," Monique added in.

The man shrugged, not taking too much stock in the group's words, despite the fact that they had dropped him earlier. He provided them with places to sleep and everything. The sound of the pouring rain and the comfort of being on stable land put most of the crew to sleep as soon as their heads hit the pillows. But, one remained awake and eased out of the cabin as soon as the rain stopped.

"Princess, you need to get some sleep," Shego said as she stepped outside into the pitch black of midnight. She could see the Captain walking off, not even stopping when Shego had addressed her.

"I can't sleep any more. You know that," Kim replied. The footsteps behind her let her know that the pale woman was following her.

"Why is it that the nightmares have gotten worse?" Shego wondered aloud. She knew that Kim did not have the answer to the question, but she would like to hear the redhead's thoughts on the issue.

"I don't know. I figured with time they would get better. Plus…" the redhead trailed off and glanced at her companion. For a moment, she wondered if she should continue. "…having you hold me was really working for a while. I felt really safe and sound with you, like nothing could ever touch me. I figured with you and time, it really should have gotten better…"

Shego nodded, feeling some pride, but she decided against expressing that right now. "Do you think it might be a sign?" she asked curiously.

"A sign?" Kim echoed. She then shrugged. "I don't know. I doubt it. Things like that usually don't happen to me."

The helmsman nodded again and decided to drop the subject. Instead, she focused on the fact that they were still moving and going further from the settlement toward the beach. "We're going to the castle, aren't we?" she said it like a question, but it was easily a statement.

"I might as well do something since I can't sleep. I'm guessing you're coming with me."

"I did say we, I do believe."

Kim nodded. "That you did." After a brief moment of silence, she added a quiet, "Thank you."

Shego smirked. "Come on, Princess, you know there is no other place I would rather be than by your side and saving your butt."

The redhead glanced at Shego, but decided to just let the joke go for once. They moved quickly on their own and made it to the castle before the rain started again. The fortress was dimly lit with candles everywhere. Stepping silently, the women searched the area for the master of the castle. They expected him to be in the bed since it was the middle of the night. As they got to the roof, they found out that they were wrong if the noise meant anything.

"I get the feeling he's going to be up playing golf," Shego commented. Whatever the hell golf was.

"What makes you think that?" Kim inquired.

"The man kidnapped a whole colony to make a golf course. That screams obsession."

Kim conceded that point. As they got to the top of the castle, they saw a thick man wearing a kilt. He was swinging a thin stick that seemed to have a club on the end; the two women did not know what to make of that. Looking close, they were able to see that he was using the club to hit a tiny ball; they were able to make this out because he had the rooftop lit with torches.

"Excuse me," Kim called, causing the man to turn.

"Who are you and what are you doing in my course?" the man demanded to know with a heavy accent.

"What the hell type of way is that to talk?" Shego wondered aloud. "I barely understood that."

"That's a Northern accent. I have family from there. It gets worse," Kim commented before turning her attention back to the angry man. "Are you Duff Killigan?"

"Aye, what's it to you?" he countered in a heated tone.

"I can't let you continue on oppressing the natives and citizens of the Empire," Kim declared. Shego glanced at the Captain, thinking that sounded almost naval of the redhead.

"You're with the Empire? Ach, the Emperor must be getting pretty desperate to send a wee lass after me," Killigan stated.

"A wee lass? What the hell is that?" Shego asked with a baffled expression on her face. She was starting to get annoyed with everything about this man. It did not help that she would rather be holding Kim and sleeping right now.

"Well, I won't be going gently into that good night!" Killigan proclaimed and he hit a small golf ball toward the ladies.

Instinctively, Kim dodged while Shego slapped at the ball. The pale woman was certainly in for a surprise as the ball exploded and blew her into the stone wall behind her. A grunt escaped her as her back impacted the hard surface.

"Shego!" Kim called.

"I'm fine, Pumpkin," Shego growled. "I'm also pissed!" she added in, charging at the viceroy with blazing hands.

Killigan actually yelped when Shego came at him because he never saw a person move so fast. He tried to launch another golf ball at her, but he just was not quick enough. She cut through his club like it was made of papier-mâché. She was about to slash him, but he managed to throw one of his exploding golf balls at her. She was knocked back again.

"Shego!" Kim cried and then she leaped onto action.

Duff was even more surprised by the way that Kim moved than the way that Shego moved. The redhead was a spitfire, to be sure, and had him on his back from pure shock at her ability. Shego stood back and watched with a smirk on her face, as if to say, "that's my girl."

"Now, Duff, how about we talk again?" Kim proposed as Killigan tried to get back on his feet.

"I don't take to Imperial dogs, lass!" he declared, throwing a golf ball at her. She easily dodged it and put her foot in his gut. He gasped and fell over.

"Watch your mouth. We're not from the Empire," Shego huffed, sounding quite insulted by the accusations.

"Then why are you doing this?" Duff growled.

"Because you don't have a right to force these people to make your stupid golf course. This isn't your land and they aren't your slaves!" Kim informed him.

"It is my land! The Emperor gave it to me and I'll use it anyway that I see fit!" he stated, as if he was in control of the situation.

"Oh yeah?" Kim arched an eyebrow and crouched down into her fighting stance again.

Duff Killigan tried to stand up to Kim, but she easily overpowered him. Each time he tried to get back up, she put him back on his back. It started to drizzle and he slipped on his last attempt to stand. Shego bound him when it was clear that he had had enough. The rain got worse as the pair made their way back into the castle.

They spent the night there, wandering mostly. They would check on Killigan every few minutes, but the night was long. Shego fell asleep for a while, but Kim stayed up. As morning broke, the duo exited the castle, walking into the pouring rain. Taking a roundabout route, they dragged Killigan through his golf course, seeing the chopped down trees and mowed land. They were both stunned by the size of the thing.

"Whoa, do you really need all this land to hit around such a little ball?" Shego inquired in disbelief.

"Are ya daft? Of course I do!" Duff answered as if Shego was an idiot.

She frowned and twisted his arm a little. He hollered in pain and begged her to stop. Only a scolding word from Kim got her to quit it, though.

They turned Duff Killigan over to his workers as soon as they got to the settlement. The duo were treated as heroes and the Possible Company were given everything they could want or need while they stayed on island. For three days, they were treated like royalty, but when the sun came out, they were ready to move on. They did have a goal to achieve.

* * *

Next time: Nightmares continue to plague Kim.

1: Grapeshot—canon balls put into a cloth bag and scatter when they are fired, improving the odds of hitting the enemy ship.


	18. Free

I don't own these characters; Disney does.

18: Free

Shego woke up to an empty bed surrounded by the darkness of night. She groaned, tossing a little to feel for Kim, but finding nothing. Her tired mind did not want to accept that the bed was missing one person, so she continued searching until she managed to get to the end of the bed. Nothing.

"Damn it, Pumpkin. Where are you?" Shego grumbled into the dark. Despite the fact that Kim had taken to beating her up in their sleep, she could not get a full night's rest without that petite body pressed against her.

The pale woman climbed out of bed and left the Captain's cabin wrapped in nothing more than a long shirt. Emerald eyes scanned the deck for the redhead, but saw nothing. Climbing the nearby stairs, she found Kim parked on the gunwale of the poop deck. Dark green eyes watched the currently calm ocean.

"Princess, what are you doing out here?" Shego inquired, even though she could guess. She wrapped her arms around Kim and pulled the redhead to her. She briefly wondered how she had managed to get along in life before meeting the younger woman, but that did not matter since Kim was there now.

"Shego…" Kim sounded like she wanted to cry, but no tears fell from her eyes. Burying her face in the warmth of Shego's neck, she tried burrowing into Shego's calming presence. She wanted to believe that if they got close enough, she would stop seeing ghouls from her past and everything would be all right. Shego would be able to keep all the monster at bay and then she would have time to gather herself and heal.

"What's wrong, Princess? Tell me what to do," Shego whispered, caressing the Captain's shoulder. She needed to do something to get this torment from the strongest woman that she had ever met—strong in power and strong in character.

"I don't know. I just can't sleep anymore. I keep seeing Josh's body, his lifeless eyes staring back at me. I keep seeing all the blood, feeling it all over me. I keep seeing that man…" Kim trailed off. "That man" was how she referred to Pete, the sailor that slaughtered her fiancé as revenge against her for being able to defend herself.

"He can't hurt you, Kimmie. He's not here now and if we ever meet him again, you know we'll get justice for you and for Josh," Shego said. She did not like mentioning Josh, but he was gone, so he posed no threat to her.

"I know, but for some reason, he just keeps invading my thoughts and haunting my memory. His actions keep taking over my mind. It's not even like I see him doing anything horrible to me or to Josh. I just keep seeing his eyes or Josh's body. I think about what he wanted from me and I can just feel his intent through my skin…" She shivered a bit as the thought ran through her mind.

Shego leaned down and placed a gentle kiss to Kim's forehead. "He can't get you, Princess. You wouldn't let him and I wouldn't let him," she vowed and she meant it. She would crush that man when she saw him, she promised herself. He would pay for his crimes.

"He might not be able to get me, but what if he got someone that I loved? What if what happened to Josh happened again?" Olive eyes locked with emerald ones and Shego understood the fear there.

"It would never come to that, Princess. I promise you. We both can take care of ourselves and he wouldn't catch us by surprise. No way a coward gets that lucky twice in a lifetime either. I promise you, he will not get lucky again," Shego said firmly. She touched that Kim was concerned for her and that Kim worried about losing her.

Kim did not say anything, just allowing Shego to hold her tight. The pale woman eventually picked Kim up and carried her back to bed. She laid Kim down, embracing her tightly and gently stroking her hair. The redhead settled down and soon her breathing evened out. Shego remained spooned close against Kim and eventually she fell asleep too.

This scene was becoming the norm and Shego did not like it. She wanted to do something for the Captain, but there was nothing to do. Kim could not figure it out either. She did not understand why the nightmares kept getting worse.

* * *

_Anything's Possible_ was awake and active. Everyone was doing their job to make sure the ship ran well and was also ready for any prizes that might happen along. Monique was securing all of the lines. Bonnie was cleaning the guns down and checking on if any of them needed maintenance. Wade was creating more ammo to replace all that they had used their past couple of adventures. Yori, surprising everyone, was fixing boards on the ship, showing off her limited carpentry skills. Ron was making breakfast. Shego was at the helm and Kim was looking over the map.

"I think we're in new territory," Kim announced.

"What do you mean?" Shego asked.

"We've left the Atlantic and we're now in the Indian Ocean. We need to pass through here and get to the Pacific."

"Is that so far?" Monique inquired.

"Not really. The Indian Ocean is not very big. We do have to be careful because now we're in waters controlled by other countries aside from the Empire. I really should have said something earlier, but all of the storms seemed like priority," the Captain stated. They had been sailing into bad weather recently, so they were always looking to stay safe because of that. "The Imperial Navy is very strict in these waters because they don't want anything to start an international incident," Kim explained.

"Unless they've engineered it," Shego remarked with a small laugh.

Kim chuckled a bit too. "Well, yeah, that's true. Other nations are already looking for us anyway since we have taken their trade ships. Only thing is, now they can sic their navies on us, too. We don't want to end up getting chased by a fleet. Or worse, several fleets," she warned the crew. She knew firsthand how horrible it would be for a small company to have to face an entire naval fleet.

"So, are we not taking prizes anymore?" Yori inquired. On any other pirate ship, she would have thought that was a good thing. Her sense of honor made her feel a great deal of distain for stealing, but seeing what Kim and the crew stole was nothing like other pirates. To her, their actions were more honorable than most others that she had encountered in her life.

"Of course we are! Hench is going to feel our wrath until we stop being pirates," Shego declared. Monique, Bonnie, and Wade cheered in agreement.

"We just have to be careful about it. We should also find out what trade routes Hench uses in these waters as well as where it's safe for us and what navies we might have to avoid," Kim pointed out.

The crew agreed with that and they set about gathering that information at the next port that they landed in. They repeated the process at the next port too, wanting to stay ahead of any officials seeking them out. It seemed like they were going to get out of the international waters without much of an incident, but that was not in the cards.

The Possible crew was headed back to the _Anything's Possible_ after a short stay at the comfortable port. On their way back to the ship, Kim's eyes caught something on the dock. She gasped and grabbed Shego by the hand.

"What is it, Kimmie?" Shego inquired, turning to see the expression of shock in olive eyes. All Kim could do was point to a ship just pulling out of the dock, but her finger seemed to point directly at a sailor on deck. The rest of her body was stiff, as if it was frozen in place. All of the color drained from her face and she looked like she had seen a ghost.

"What is it? I've never seen Kim look like that before," Monique stated. Their Captain looked as if she was looking at pure terror, especially when her body started trembling. Whatever was scaring someone like Kim, Monique was not sure she wanted to be there when they found out.

Shego realized that she had never seen Kim like this before either…except for the nightmares. "Kimmie, is that Pete?" she asked.

Kim nodded. "That's the ship!" she cried out, body shaking now as if she was trapped in a storm.

"We're taking that vessel," Shego ordered in a harsh tone. Marching off, she tugged Kim with her, hoping that somehow just being near her would calm the Captain down. The crew followed behind because they had never heard that type of voice from the helmsman. They got the feeling that whatever was going on was important.

The _Anything's Possible_ was launched in record time. The crew had no doubt that Shego would have left them if they had not all been present. They could only wonder what the hurry was and why Shego was giving the orders while their Captain seemed to be in utter shock.

"We're taking that ship!" Shego informed the Company, pointing to a speck in the distance. They all knew that was the ship that Kim pointed to back at the dock.

"What the hell is so special about that ship?" Bonnie wondered aloud in a snide voice.

"Don't worry about it! Just know that we are taking that prize right now!" Shego roared.

Monique pulled Bonnie away, sensing how necessary this was. The last thing they needed was Bonnie making matters worse. To keep the gunner from protesting, she offered to help Bonnie prepare the guns. That got a smile from Bonnie and the whole crew prepared for battle.

"Shego…?" Kim muttered, standing by the helmsman.

"It's okay, Princess. We'll teach that filthy cur a lesson he won't soon forget! Him and his horrible crew—and the captain that put such a stain on your character!" Shego declared with a devilish grin.

Something inside of Kim begged her to stop what they were doing, knowing that Shego planned more than to just take the ship as a prize. But more of her could only stand and wait. This man, this crew, had taken everything from her. They had turned her into a fugitive, an outlaw, and left her alone in the world to die in a freezing ocean on top of that. What good would it do to let them think they got away with it? They could end up doing it again. Pete could end up pursuing other women like he had done with her, but they might not be as capable of fighting back. He could kill others. No, for once, she thought that Shego's way might be the best course of action.

"To the guns! Be sure to load them with real shells!" Shego called out to the crew as they grew closer to their quarry. Her fingers itched for a taste of the bastard that tried to take from her Captain. "Be ready to fire!"

"When the hell did you become Captain? Shouldn't we be voting on that?" Bonnie demanded.

Shego snarled, tempted to show Bonnie just what she thought of voting at the moment. But things did not come to that. Suddenly, a spark shot through olive eyes and Kim turned her attention to her company.

"You heard the orders, Bonnie! We're taking that ship, so be ready to fire on it!" Kim commanded and that got Bonnie's attention back to her gun. The redhead then turned to look at Shego and she smiled at her.

"Glad you could join us for this," the helmsman remarked.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Kim replied with a confident smile. For once, she was glad for Bonnie's attitude because it was the fact that Bonnie was questioning orders that brought her out of her daze. Her attention then went out to their prize. She was glad to see that they were coming up on it fast. "Fire!" she called out to the gunners.

Shots exploded from the ship crashing into the vessel ahead of them. Precise shots tore threw the hull and masts of the other ship with ease. By the time the other ship even realized what was happening, they were in no position to do anything more than return fire. Shego saw to it that nothing touched _Anything's Possible_ and it had nothing to do with her steering. Plasma blasts disintegrated any gunfire that came close to the ship.

"Prepare to board!" Kim called out as they pulled closer to the disabled vessel.

"Something feels different about this…" Ron muttered to himself. He was not sure what it was, but this certainly did not have the same vibe that their other jobs had. Still, he was ready to board as ordered.

The other ship continued to try to fire at them, but their gunners maintained their positions while the Captain, Shego, Ron, and Yori used ropes from the rigging to propel themselves onto the other ship. They landed fighting for the most part, all of them jumping onto the ship and landing in various attack moves. Fists and feet were flying as punches and kicks were thrown. Soon the crew of the other ship turned their attention from the pirate ship to the pirates on board, but by then their numbers had already been reduced by the precise hits from the pirate warriors attacking them.

The four warriors took sections of the ship and took on hordes of the sailors. Pistols fired and hatches were swung, but the four pirates showed their skills with frightening accuracy. Shego and Kim seemed to be especially brutal. Ron noticed that Kim was actually aiming to break bones, which was something that he had never seen before. There was a fury pouring out of her that he had never seen before and he wondered if there was something about this particular ship and crew that was different from their other prizes. He ignored the plaguing thoughts and kept his wits about him as he continued fighting.

The Possible Company took the ship with the same ease that they always did. They looted the prize, finding plenty of goodies and treasure to divide amongst the crew. After that, though, things went back to being abnormal.

"Guys, go back to the ship," Kim commanded her crew in an almost cold tone.

"Captain?" Monique said.

"Kim?" Ron said at the same time.

"Listen to the Captain!" Shego ordered in a harsh snarl.

The Possible crew quickly went back aboard _Anything's Possible_ while Kim and Shego remained onboard. They marched over to their prisoners, the tied up sailors of the vessel. Green eyes heatedly scanned the crew.

"Where is he, Kimmie?" Shego demanded.

"There." Kim pointed to a sniveling male in the back of the crowd. Shego stormed through the crowd, all who moved away as best she could when she came close. She reached down and grabbed him to his feet, holding him up by his throat. Her hold was far from gentle and his eyes bulged from his head as she clutched his neck.

"Is this the filth?" Shego inquired with a snarl.

"That's him," the redhead confirmed.

The pale warrior flung the whimpering sailor to Kim's feet. Olive eyes glared down at him and he tried to move away without bothering to look at her, but with his arms and legs bound tightly made it impossible. His pathetic retreat only caused him to bump into Shego.

"Hey, Pete, do you remember me?" Kim inquired, leaning down so that he could get a good look at her.

And a good look at her he did get. Suddenly, he seemed to forget his fear because Kim did not have that killer look to her that Shego did. He only saw a little redhead. He had the nerve to look haughtily at her, earning him a heavy kick to the ribs from Shego.

"You don't remember me, do you? Well over a year ago you ruined my life," Kim said. "You, your crew, and your captain," she added, scanning the crowd for the bastard that refused to believe her a year ago for whatever reasons. She saw him, looking rather bruised and blood at the end of the line of men.

"Maybe he ruins so many lives that they all run together," Shego pondered aloud, leaning down to grab him by his shirt collar. "Is that it? You ruin that many lives of beautiful redheads that you can't remember?"

He flinched and whimpered, causing drool to dribble down his chin. She let him go only for Kim to step over to him. Her fist went out without her permission and grabbed him. Images of Josh's mutilated body flashed through her mind and without any conscious permission from her brain, her fists started wailing on Pete as tears fell from her eyes. Blood from his face splattered onto her fists and body.

"He was good man! How dare you take him from me! How dare you kill him because I didn't want you! You're nothing compared to him!" Kim hollered and Shego had to pull her off of the man to keep her from pounding straight through his skull. For a moment, Kim struggled against Shego, who thought that the redhead might actually get away from her. But, then Kim suddenly turned and started sobbing on her shoulder. The pale woman held her and then turned her attention to the ship crew.

"You guys might not remember, but a year ago, my captain here was your guest and you treated her very poorly. Some tried to rape her. Her beau was murdered onboard and you blamed her. You chased her to the railing and watched her jump overboard, not bothering to fish her out when she hit the water. Then just to cover your tracks, you docked and blamed her for the murder anyway, and made sure that the Navy would still be looking for her even if you thought she was dead. You wanted a just-in-case, though. Because of that, even though she lived through your horrible treatment, she could not even return home. She could not get comfort for the wrongs done to her. You have no idea how much you have impacted her life," Shego said, shaking her head to them. She then turned her attention to her Captain. "What should we do with them?" she asked in a loud voice, wanting to worry them.

The men cowered, wondering what Kim would come up with. If what Shego said was true, they had seriously wronged Kim and many of them knew what Shego said was true. The captain for instance remembered exactly what happened. He was the one that had the Navy make out the "wanted" posters to make sure they were not liable for what happened.

"I want five volunteers to come forward. If they give their word to tell the Imperial Navy what truly happened, they can go free," Kim promised. She easily got five volunteers; she actually got more and had to choice pick. Pete tried to be one of volunteers.

"No, no, sir. You stay right there," Shego ordered, kicking him in the hip.

"If you betray me, I will find you just like I did now," Kim vowed, accepting the men because as far as she recalled, they were not a part of the group that made moves against her. She then nodded to the lifeboat. "We're not too far from land. You should easily make it back to the port with that boat."

The men nodded and hurried for the boat to get going. Kim scanned the remaining group. Shego watched her Captain, feeling oddly proud of her. Kim was being menacing, but also working to clear her name in a noble manner.

"What's next, Kimmie?" Shego inquired.

"You know what? I say we conscript them into the Company," Kim declared.

Shego arched an eyebrow, confused for a moment. "And…?"

"They will be given orders and if they don't comply…" Kim trailed off.

Shego shivered and marched over to Kim. She leaned down to speak into the redhead's ear. "You are vicious, Princess. It's really turning me on," she whispered.

Kim waved her off. Shego knew that conscripting them into the crew meant that they were subject to the Possible Company's pirate code. Kim quickly wrote a repeat of their Articles of Agreement for the prisoners. They were forced to sign; those that did not were moved to one side of the ship. Once that was done, Shego smirked and dished out an order to their new crew. They were to salute their Captain. None were able to because they were tied. Shego laughed.

"Disobeying orders already?" the helmsman taunted them.

"All right. Consider this a combat situation and consider this your first and only order. If you don't want to be a part of my crew, toss yourself overboard. If you do, confess your sins to me and be appropriately punished for it," Kim announced.

She noticed that no one tried to jump overboard. They were not only cowards, but they were disloyal cowards, so easy to betray their own captain and company. She shook her head. They confessed more sins than she thought possible. Even Shego could not believe many of the things that they did.

"Marooning?" Shego guessed their punishment.

"Marooning," Kim agreed.

"What?" the men all screamed.

"What about Pete here? Marooning for him is too good," Shego said. Kim agreed, but she did not know what to do about him. Shego smirked. "Can I take care of him, please?" she implored, poking out her lip to make sure she got her request.

Kim shrugged, knowing that Shego would go beyond what she thought was right, but at the moment, she did not care. They informed their crew that they were taking the ship. Monique took the helm of _Anything's Possible_ to follow the other ship; she had some experience with it thanks to Shego being lazy much of the time and not wanting to do her own job. The Possible crew speculated about what was going on, but they did not get any answers because Kim and Shego remained on the other ship.

They came across what they thought was the perfect island hours later. It was small and out of the way. Kim was not sure how long the Hench Co. crew would last on it, but she did not care. They did not care when Pete was trying to rape her, they did not care when Pete killed Josh, they did not care to know the truth, so she no longer cared about them. They were forced off the ship and had to swim to the tiny piece of land and Shego took care of the Hench Co. ship, blasting a large hole in the hull. They watched the ship drift off, taking on water. It was below the waves before while still in sight.

"He was in there, wasn't he?" Kim asked Shego. She suspected that Shego left Pete on the ship, knowing she was going to sink it.

"He was. But, I untied him. He had a chance, more than what Josh had," Shego pointed out. Kim nodded to that. Shego did not go into detail, but she had left a few roadblocks in Pete's way…but he still had more of a chance than Josh. After all, he was not stabbed to death in his sleep while already being weak from seasickness.

With that done, the Possible Company was on their way again. Kim and Shego did not bother to explain what just happened to the rest of the crew. Shego knew that Kim would get to it in time, but at the moment, it was just too much to deal with. That night, Kim did not bother to try to sleep, having too much on her mind.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Shego inquired, pulling Kim's body to her.

"There's nothing to talk about yet. I'm just trying to process it all. I'll talk about it, eventually," Kim promised.

Shego nodded and she was able to fall asleep with no problem. Kim remained awake, not just that night, but the next few. It was not until she explained everything to the crew, why they took that ship in the manner that they did, and what they did to the crew that she felt some of the edge come off. The whole crew seemed to understand and no one condemned her actions, aside from the fact that she did not say anything while everything was happened. This brought her a great measure of comfort, knowing that she had such dear friends.

* * *

The first night that Kim slept had very little movement and she and Shego were able to sleep through the night. This pleased Shego immensely. But, nights were going to get better for her and she quickly found that out.

Shego crawled into bed next to the Captain, ready to snuggle and get some sleep. Kim had other plans, placing sweet kisses to the pale face as soon as the older woman was lying next to her. Shego did not argue or even ask questions, just accepting the affection. She pulled Kim closer to her and returned several kisses. It was when small hands started to roam that Shego had to find out what was going on.

"Wait, Princess…" Shego panted, pulling away slightly.

"Yes?" Kim asked.

"What's going on? Usually, I'm the one pawing at you." It was bit strange to have the tables turned, even though they were still in her favor.

Kim smiled a bit. "Sleep agrees with me, but more so, I feel like mountains have been lifted off of me. I feel like I'm whole again and it's thanks to you. I finally feel free and that's also thanks to you. I feel like…I feel like I can love again…" She felt like she could be with Shego in the manner that she had planned to be with Josh.

Shego actually blushed. "And you want to love me…?"

"I already do," the redhead confessed. "I love you. I love you more than I ever thought possible and I want to show you that I do. Since we can't get married legally…" She trailed off. Typically, she would have waited for their wedding night, but this relationship was rather unconventional, even for pirates.

"Married?" Shego echoed and looked ready to reel. Her eyes fluttered shut for a moment and then she stared at the redhead as if she was in a daze.

"Too much too fast?" Kim asked curiously, a little scared.

The pale woman shook her head. "No, just shock. Wow, you want to marry me. Kimmie, you are the most impressive and amazing woman I have ever met and I want you to know that I follow you happily, even though I make it difficult. I will always be there for you, to support you, and carry you if necessary…not that I think you'll ever need that."

Kim smiled brightly. "That's sweet. Honestly, when I'm with you, I feel things that I didn't even know existed. You make me feel so safe and secure. I never thought I needed that until I felt it with you and I realize these aren't bad things. I know I can depend and rely on you for anything. I hope you know that you can do the same with me."

"Princess, I know all of that and more. It is a shame that no one would ever marry us," the plasma-wielder commented.

Suddenly, a smile spread across Kim's face. "Hey, since I am a captain, I now pronounce us married. Until death do us part."

"Does this mean we can consummate the relationship?" Shego asked, wiggling her eyebrows.

"I was trying to do that before you started talking and making the moment all sentimental," Kim teased. She was very glad for the moment, getting to tell Shego how she felt and finding out how Shego felt about her. Everything seemed so much better in life now, even though she was still a pirate outlaw.

The older woman went in for a much more passionate kiss than they had ever shared before, ending any discussions for the night. Kim returned the kiss with just as much ardor, pouring her feeling into the embrace. They moaned into each's mouths as hands reached out for each other, needing to feel more of each other, needing to feel more of that overflowing emotion.

Before they knew it—and they did not know how—they were both nude, their clothing littering the deck. Their lips never left each other until their hands had had their fill, mapping every inch of each other and committing it all to memory. Their lips then followed the same path, wanting the same things. This was their freedom, they realized. This was their fortune and they would never give it up for anyone.

* * *

Next time: can you say epic sea-battle with the Imperial Navy?


	19. Marked for dead

I don't own these characters; Disney does.

19: Marked for dead

The Possible Company of pirates was a menace to all of the seven seas, and since they started moving east they had become a menace to more than just the Empire. The Empire was getting complaints and very dangerous accusations from other countries thanks to the pirates. They had to do something about the outlaws or there could actually be a war…between them and _several_ other nations. As powerful as the Empire was, taking on several countries bent on their destruction would not be very wise.

It did not help matters that Jack Hench was making noise because his trading company was suffering worse than any of the countries. His company had been hit twice as much as all of the other countries combined. He was screaming for something to get done before his company and much of the Empire's trading business was crippled beyond repair.

The Navy was put on high alert for the _Anything's Possible_; hell, they were actually on high alert for anything that might resemble the _Anything's Possible_. A promotion was promised to any unit that brought the pirates in; everyone in the unit would move up in rank. Along with rank in the military, the commander in charge would get status as a noble. This got the Imperial Navy moving much better than any other rewards would have and motivated all of the sailors.

There was a monetary reward for any other ships that might come across the pirates and managed to capture them. That mobilized a lot of people, but still, the Possible Company pressed on. The pirates did not seem pressed about all of the heat that was on them and they were very aware that most of the world was hunting for them now.

"How are we doing on time?" Shego asked from her position at the helm.

"We're doing good. Coming into the Pacific now. We might want to be careful of Eastern pirates. I hear they're much worse than the ones in the Indian Ocean," Kim announced. They had gotten into a few "spots" of trouble in the Indian Ocean, but nothing that they could not handle. Still, they needed to keep moving.

"They're not that bad. We could take them," Shego stated proudly. She had dealt with enough pirates point blank to feel confident that they could take any ship that happened upon them. They found out about that quickly.

Taking prizes in the East was just as easy in the West. Pirates in those waters tried to test the crew only to find out that they were feisty and skilled despite their small numbers. Several pirate ships lost their own prizes for trying the Possible Company. The crew were feeling pretty good about themselves, especially since their hull was weighed down with crowns and other baubles.

"Do we really need to get to the end of the map? I mean, can it really be more money than what we have already?" Bonnie wondered aloud. The crew was hanging out on the deck, enjoying the good weather for the most part. Ron, Wade, and Rufus were fishing over the side while the ladies were just lounging around in a few lounge chairs.

"Are you kidding? We've been operating for a few months and we've taken a few dozen prizes. Betty Blackheart sailed these seas for years! Imagine how much treasure that would be," Shego said, her arm around Kim, who was reading a book.

"Besides, we need to quit while we're ahead. I've seen what happens to pirates who continue on and it doesn't end well," Kim commented, showing that her attention was not completely on the literature in front of her.

"She's right about that," Shego agreed. She had seen than her fair share of pirates taken to the Imperial prison and end up doing a jig in the air while a crowd watched them swing.

"Then what are we going to do after we get to the end of the map?" Monique asked curiously.

"A wise woman once told me that I should use my shares to find honest work, so I think we should all use our shares to achieve our dreams," Kim answered.

The crew went silent at that. Amazingly enough, none of them had taken the time to realize what their dreams were. They had not thought of their lives beyond being pirates. They all decided to give it some thought at that moment. The moment of consideration did not last long.

"We got company!" Ron called out as he and Wade yanked up their fishing lines.

The ladies all turned to see what Ron was talking about. Spyglasses came out next when they saw the dot on the horizon, which quickly turned into several dots, all flying Imperial flags. Kim got up and the crew followed suit. Shego and Bonnie stretched nonchalantly, like lazy cats. Monique had to hold in a snicker, surprised that the pair never noticed that they had a few similarities.

"What do you want to do, Captain?" Shego inquired.

"Well, I think we can just stay here and wait it out. The Imperial Navy can't be out searching every ship they come across, after all. They don't know what any of you look like and I can just stay out of sight. It might be a good way to find out what they're up to," Kim replied.

"You don't think they'll be a little suspicious of a ship with six crew members and four of those women?" Monique asked.

"You mean to tell me my fast talking crew could not find a way to explain that?" Kim dramatically gasped as if she was in total shock, going so far as to put her hand to her chest.

"Shut up," Shego snorted. "It's quite simple. We were attacked by pirates. They took most of the crew with them. We throw in some crying, some hysterics, and those Navy idiots won't think anything of it. The buffoon here can be the manly-man and ask questions since it's likely the fucking Navy isn't going to respect Wade."

"That's good," Monique conceded, nodding in favor of that plan. It was a bit impressive that Shego could come up with such a lie so quickly.

"Fucking shame about the Empire. Willing to listen to this idiot over Wade," the emerald-eyed warrior remarked, pointing her thumb at Ron.

"Hey!" Ron huffed.

"Shego, that's quite enough. Now, you've got a good story, but why would the pirates take the crew and obviously leave slaves behind?" the redhead asked.

"Easy enough. We've all already owned by nice masters at the Capitol, noblemen or some bullshit that won't make them ask a lot of questions. We freaked at the idea of getting sold again and none of us cooperated. They didn't want to waste their time with hysterical women. They didn't take the buffoon because he wouldn't even make a good deckhand," Shego explained.

"HEY!" Ron shook his fist at the pale woman.

"Sounds like you have this one all worked out. Okay, so, I'm going to go hide out in the hull," Kim informed them. As much as she hated the fact that she needed to hide, it was the easiest way to get away from the Navy without getting into a fight.

The Captain disappeared below decks while the rest went to make it look like the ship had been ransacked. No one wanted to move too much, being fully aware that they would later have to clean up the mess. They also knew that they were going to hear countless arguments of "I didn't do move that, so why should I clean it up?"As the Naval ship drew closer, Bonnie and Monique were able to force tears out of their eyes. It took a lot more effort for Shego and Yori to do it; in fact, Shego only managed it after Bonnie pointed out that Shego was worthless because she could not follow along with her own plan.

"Ahoy!" someone from the Naval ship called as the vessel pulled up close to the _Anything's Possible_.

"Ahoy!" Ron called back.

The ship pulled up closer and a burly man pushed his way to the front of the sailors. Ron gulped as soon as he locked eyes with the thick fellow. He took in the way the man's uniform was immaculate and his stance was beyond strong.

"Ahoy, son. I'm Lieutenant Commander Barkin. What's this vessel doing here?" the barrel-chested brunette Naval officer demanded to know. His eyes drifted to the women in the corner, who were pouring on the hysterics; Shego was trying not to throw up and Yori was seriously contemplating suicide later on for having to act like such a baby.

"Uh…we're just having a bit of trouble," Ron answered, sounding a cross between nervous and relieved. It was not done on purpose; he was relieved that the Navy had not opened fire automatically and just asked questions after obliterating the ship.

"What sort of trouble?" Barkin inquired, subtly glancing at the crew again. "You got an odd cargo here, son," he commented, noting that all of the passengers were foreigners, even though the ship flew an Imperial flag.

Ron gulped again and hoped he was not sweating as much as it felt like. He told himself that it was no big deal. It was only one Imperial Naval ship. Nothing too serious. He could make it through this.

"We got attacked by pirates. They took the crew…" Ron said, trying his best to sound distressed over it. He was not coming close to the theatrics of the ladies, though. He felt like he was selling enough, especially since Rufus did not hit him or something to let him know that he needed to do more.

"Pirates?" Barkin's face lit up. "Did the pirates say who they were? We're searching for the Red Devil and her crew."

"Red Devil?" Ron echoed as if he did not know who that was.

"She's more than likely a woman known as Kim Possible. She's wanted for murder and numerous counts of piracy. Supposedly her evil crew is full of demon women that do her bidding as if she was the Devil himself." Hard eyes drifted over to the ladies again, who continued to pour on the fact that they were nothing more than shaken females, unable to stand the shock of being attacked.

Ron nodded. "No, there weren't any women with the pirates that attacked us. They looked Eastern. Perhaps they were some of the Empire's enemies," he offered, hoping to throw the crew off their trail.

Barkin made a noise to show that he was thinking. "Why'd these pirates take most of the crew, but leave you and those foreigners behind?" he inquired, but it sounded like a demand.

Ron frowned for a moment because he did not like the way that the lieutenant said the word "foreigner." He made it sound like an insult, some sort of slur against the women onboard. He noticed that the glint in Barkin's eyes changed when he glanced over at the ladies too, as if he was looking at insects. Ron almost wished that Shego noticed, so she could teach the bastard a lesson. As it stood, they were still trying to avoid getting into a battle with a Naval ship since there were three others not too far behind.

"The ladies just wouldn't calm down and the pirates said they didn't have the time to mess around. They didn't take me because they thought I was too scrawny to conscript," Ron explained.

Barkin was quiet for a moment, openly inspecting the blond. He then nodded to himself, undoubtedly agreeing with Shego and "the pirates" that Ron was scrawny. Ron wanted to sigh, but maintained his act.

"All right. Were the pirates here long ago? We might still be able to catch them," Barkin decided. "Find out if it's the Red Devil or not."

"It wasn't that long ago, sir. They sailed leeward," Ron replied, pointing out in the direction that the wind was blowing. He was pretty sure that they were not going in that direction.

"All right. Try to sail your ship to port. I'm sure those slaves need to get back to their masters," Barkin remarked, nodding toward the ladies.

Ron growled, upset that the Naval officer automatically assumed all of the ladies to be slaves just because of their looks. He had never been happier to see a ship sail off than he was when Barkin's naval brig floated away. Ron heaved a huge sigh of relief while the ladies straightened out immediately.

"I guess the reward that the Emperor put out on Kimmie is working," Shego remarked, shaking her head.

"Oh, what clued you into that? The small fleet following Lieutenant Intolerant-Prick?" Bonnie huffed.

"We need to get out of here," Monique pointed out.

Everyone was in agreement there. They waited for the other ships to pass them; those ships did not even bother to question them. They were obvious just following the Lieutenant Commander. Kim was brought out of the hull as soon as the ships were by and brought up to speed as to what was going on.

"Guys, we've got other problems," Wade announced.

"What?" Kim inquired.

"Those ships just turned around. We could be in trouble. What should we do?" Wade inquired. All eyes went to the Captain. She had not steered them wrong yet, after all.

Kim thought on it for a moment. "I wouldn't turn around if I were them. Seems like a waste of time. Did the commanding officer seem like a nice guy? As if he was the type to help out stranded women?"

"No. In fact, I'm pretty sure he had a problem with all of them for being 'foreigners.' Assumed right off that they were slaves too and he kinda looked down his nose at me while talking to me," Ron reported.

"Then it's definitely not good that they're turning around. He's probably suspicious. While most people don't know what we all look like, they know we're a small crew made up of mostly women. He might have put two and two together," Kim figured.

"Then what do we do, Cap'n?" Bonnie said, folding her arms across her chest. "Four Naval ships could eat us for lunch."

"Not necessarily. Wade, I know this is way short notice, but do you think you could build a catapult? I need something that will launch a human body," Kim said.

"Uh…why?" Wade asked while already calculating what he would need and how quickly he could fashion such a thing. It would not be too hard.

"We're going to throw Shego at one of those ships," Kim answered as if it was the most logical thing in the world. Shego grinned, all for that idea apparently. It brought back the good old days.

"You fling me low enough and I can burn right through the hull," Shego informed them. She blazed hot enough to easily go through wood with no damage to herself.

"But then you'll be in the middle of the ocean and no good to us. No, I want you to land on deck because I need you to go through another ship if necessary. Just do as much damage as you can as quickly as you can when you land. Ron, you and Yori can take one ship, right?" Kim asked, turning to the pair.

"Uh…" Ron hesitated. He had never done that before and he was not too sure if it could be done, despite what Kim and Shego seemed to think.

"It would be our honor, Captain. Ron is much more powerful than he pretends to be," Yori assured the redhead.

"Good. Bonnie, Monique, you guys can cover me. I'm going to try my best to take the first ship. After that, provide whatever cover fire you can to all of us," Kim announced. She was not sure if it could be done, but as long as everyone else was willing to try, she was ready to go down fighting with them.

"Shouldn't we attack as one unit?" Wade asked.

"No, it'll give them a chance to surround us. We can't win fighting one-on-one, especially since there's four of them and not one. We don't have the resources for that. We just have to keep them all in front of us and do our best. Remember guys, anything's possible," Kim stated and those simple words were enough for her crew to get up and ready for battle. They could not help wondering if it was the Possible Company's last stand, but they were all ready to defend each other and their freedom.

The time it took the first ship to get to _Anything's Possible_ seemed to last less than a second, but also an eternity. In that time, the crew did not speak to each other beyond what they needed to say to prepare for the fight. Even though they all wondered if this was it, they refused to act like it.

Kim fell out of sight as Barkin's frowning face drew closer and the crew could tell that Kim had made the right decision about preparing for battle. The navy sailors with him all had their own guns drawn, which made Bonnie's and Monique's fingers itch to draw their pistols.

"Hey, boy," Barkin called to Ron in a condescending manner.

"Sir?" Ron growled out.

"I think it would serve us all best if you came along with us. Answer a few questions, like what this brig was hauling, and provide the crew manifest," Barkin said.

"You wanna know what this brig is hauling?" Bonnie replied.

Barkin glared at her. "Nobody was addressing you, slave. Learn your place or you'll end up on the wrong end of a whip!"

"You learn yours or you'll end up on the wrong end of a gun," Bonnie declared, pulling out her pistol as Monique also drew hers, aiming it at the Lieutenant Commander. They had been freewomen for too long to let some muscle-head idiot threaten them with a whip.

"I knew it! You're the Red Devil's motley, mongrel crew!" Barkin hollered.

"I wouldn't consider them motley and you're one to talk about mongrels!" Kim remarked, standing behind the Lieutenant. She was soaking wet after having swam to the ship from her own. As Barkin turned, she whipped her leg across his face, knocking him back.

"Fire!" Shego called to Bonnie and Monique, who did not need to be told to do that, shooting at the sailors across from them. The pale woman then lit her hands and threw a plasma beam down at the hull of Barkin's ship. She blasted a couple of holes into it before turning to Wade. "Launch me, man! Those other ships are getting too close!" she informed him. The three Navy ships were not too far off and could undoubtedly see that Barkin's vessel was under attack.

"Okay, but you do realize, I didn't have time to check all of the calculations—" Wade tried to explain, but he was cut off.

"Wade, I don't care! I used to do this all the time and I know how to swim if you miss!" Shego shouted.

The young man shrugged and decided to go through with the plan. His catapult was more of a sling shot made out of rubber that they had liberated from one of their earlier prizes. They had never been quite sure what to do with it, but it was coming in handy now. He had to use some rope to connect the rubber and Shego had to be the one to pull it taut because she was the only one strong enough. She ended up launching herself by losing her footing. She swore all the way through the air, but had the presence of mind to ignite her hands. She looked like a blazing, emerald comet descending from heaven.

Shego crashed through the last ship in the line. She did not have any choice in the matter; it was not like she had brakes. The Imperial sailors never knew what hit them, not to mention Shego never knew what she hit to create such an explosive entrance. The Possible crew actually paused for a second when they saw the explosion light up the sky thanks to their helmsman. Shego hated that she could not make her introduction speech about being the Dragon of the Sea, but as she swam off to get the next ship that was close, she figured they would get to know who it was that was going to destroy them. She hoped that Ron and Yori were able to get the final ship on their own.

Ron and Yori had to get to the final ship—actually the second ship in the line—first. In order to do that, they joined with Kim's battle aboard Barkin's ship. Kim had quickly dispatched the Lieutenant Commander. He was conscious and roaring out commands, but he could not even stand up anymore thanks to the fiery redhead. Stubborn fellow that he was, he continued to try to stand, only to cause himself even more agony.

"How's it going, Kim?" Ron inquired, fighting his way through the lines.

"No bad. I always prefer this than fighting from our ship. Despite being pirates, I think we're all still land-based creatures," Kim remarked. They fought best with their hands; even Bonnie and Monique were better shots when they had solid ground underneath their feet.

Ron nodded in agreement and then moved on to make sure he did his part. Yori was the first one onto the second ship, swinging over from a rope and launching several throwing knives before she even landed. Ron was able to leap from ship to ship because they were so close. When Monique saw that Ron and Yori were on the other ship, she decided to lend a hand.

Monique went to her cannon and started firing that gun at the second ship. They were close enough for her to easily hit the sides of the vessel. She decided to give the first ship a little taste of it too. Wade went to fend of any return fire—the little that there was—with his own specialized cannon, managing to hold off getting their hull torn apart. Before long, both Naval ships were taking on water fast. Ron and Yori had barely established their presence on the second ship before they were retreating back to _Anything's Possible_, having to fend off Naval sailors trying to board the ship. Kim joined them.

"Let's move out!" Kim called, blood oozing down her face from a gash on her head.

"I've got it! I'll bring 'er about for Shego!" Monique replied.

"Good. Everybody else on the guns!" Kim ordered.

The crew scrambled to their cannons. The Navy continued to fight, firing back even as their ships went down. Shrapnel flew everywhere as shells bombarded them and exploded around them. The Company could only imagine how the battle would have gone if they had stayed onboard rather than taking the fight to the Navy.

"Shego, get your ass over here, so we can get moving!" Monique hollered as she maneuvered _Anything's Possible_ as closely as she could to the battling warrior.

"I'm coming!" Shego barked, flinging sailors off of her and dodging bullets. She dived overboard as quickly as possible, leaving a parting gift of blasting another hole in the already battered hull.

A rope was lowered into the ocean for Shego to latch onto as the Company fled the scene. Shego climbed aboard to see the crew, all still alive, but looking worse for wear. Even though they had clearly won the fight, that victory was not as easy as it seemed.

"Everybody still got all their body parts?" Shego asked curiously as she flung herself into the nearest seat. Guns were still being fired as they drew further and further away from the sinking ships.

"We're all pretty much still intact. Things just a little more open than they used to be," Kim replied with a laugh as blood continued to pour down her face. She was not the only gusher amongst them either, but no one brought up the cuts yet.

Once they were safely out of the range of the cannons, the crew started assessing the damages to themselves and to the ship. Bandages were used all around; no one escaped the battle unmarked. The ship had to be patched up rapidly, but they would need to dock in order to make serious repairs.

"That went better than expected," Shego quipped as they settled down for dinner.

"It's only going to get worse. That lieutenant kept screaming at me that everyone in the Empire was coming after me and my 'mongrel' crew, what with the promise of nobility driving the Naval officers and money driving any other sailors. Everybody is looking for us, wanting to see us all dangling from the gallows," Kim stated, sipping the stew that they were having. For a moment, they were all silent because it was starting to dawn on them that they could really be hanged if a big enough fleet came after them.

"So, what're we going to do?" Monique asked.

Kim went into her pocket and pulled out the map. "No more stalling. We go to the end of this now. It's in territory of the Empire's greatest enemy. They won't touch us there unless they're looking for a serious war. Thankfully, we haven't hit any of their ships, either, mostly because they're not allowed in Imperial waters," Kim answered.

"Then let's get there quick and live to retire," Ron stated. There was silence in agreement with him. They had done a lot as pirates, now they wanted to do a lot in life. So, they needed to make it to the end of that map. To the end of dreams.

* * *

Next time: to the end of road.


	20. Anything is possible

I don't own these characters; Disney does.

20: Anything is possible

The _Anything's Possible_ moved with great haste through the sapphire blue waters. After stopping at a port to make repairs, the crew was well aware of how serious the hunt was for them. They suspected—rightfully so—that things would only get worse since they single-handedly sank a small Naval fleet coming after them. If the Navy was not taking the pirates' actions personally before, they certainly were doing so now. Added was the incentive of rising in rank and achieving nobility. The crew knew that they were on borrowed time the longer they remained in areas controlled by the Empire or any of the Empire's allies.

"Do you think we'll make it?" Monique asked the Captain as their ship hurried as fast as the wind would carry it.

"Of course," Kim declared confidently, smiling as she spoke.

"And how do you know these so called enemies of the Empire will not capture us and make us a fitting gift to the Empire to cool down tensions between them?" Bonnie demanded. "Surely the Empire with its vast net of influence could entice them," she added. Her words made all of the crew stop and make sure she was the one speaking; it seemed too elegant and it was not whining. She ignored the looks; she was very capable of making an intelligent conversation if she wanted to. But, most of the time, she did not want to.

Kim smiled and shook her head. "No, they're ancient enemies. The Empire still considers them barbarians, often referring to them as such even in formal speeches. They would never do anything that looked remotely friendly toward the Empire."

"Will we be safe with them?" Monique asked with deep curiosity.

"I see no reason why we wouldn't be. The Empire would never challenge them, especially not in waters that are practically theirs and almost all of the East is either their ally or their colonies. I really doubt the Emperor is willing to go to war and chance all of his land for us. We should be quite fine…once we make it there," Kim stated with the utmost confidence. It was this brilliant and bright optimism that kept the crew together, even though they had the whole Empire after them.

The crew took their captain's word for it. She had not stirred them wrong yet, so they were always inclined to believe her. Still, they did check behind them every now and then, keeping their eyes out for enemies. They would feel much better when they were on dry land in the Empire's enemy territory. Everyone found ways to keep themselves busy to avoid thinking about how they were prey for the world's largest navy.

Kim charted a route that would keep them away from any major shipping lanes, therefore make it so they were not likely to be spotted. Luckily, Shego and Yori knew the Eastern seas well and were very aware of ports that would be friendly to the Company. They made sure to remain out of trouble when they were at those ports; it took a hell of a lot of self-control for most of them to do so. Still, they never stayed anywhere for more than a day and they were starting to miss the luxuries of land.

"How much longer until we hit these mythological waters?" Bonnie asked, sneering. They were also starting to get on each other's nerves. There was only so much one could take from the seeing the same six faces everyday and they all felt that way.

They all thought it was amazing that one of them had not killed Bonnie yet since she was by far the most annoying among them. The image of Monique shooting them halted them whenever they got really close to strangling Bonnie. And thoughts of Monique being depressed and sorrowful over the lose of Bonnie also prevented most of them from chucking Bonnie overboard. Luckily, they were able to find other distractions when they thought their self-control was waning.

"We should actually be there very soon, before the day is through. And that's good for us because I was told that most of the Navy is patrolling these waters to make sure we don't make it out of their reach," Kim replied. Taverns were always good sources of information and people always sang like birds to her and Shego…generally after a little convincing that it would be in their best interest to do so.

"But, we will make it, correct?" Yori inquired, just to be sure. Ron stood by her and put his arm around her, trying to reassure her on his own.

"Yes, we will," Kim promised for what felt like the millionth time. She was very aware that they were nervous, but she wished that they would just have faith, like she did. They needed to have faith in themselves and being together as a unit.

The Captain went up to the poop deck to avoid any more questions and concerns. She was certain that they would make it, but she did not want to have to assure the crew of that every five seconds. No one followed her up to the poop deck because no one wanted to distract Shego, who was piloting the escape. Shego, unlike the rest of the crew, did not require Kim's word that they would make it. She was as sure that they would as their captain was.

Kim made her way behind Shego and embraced the taller woman. Kim sighed as soon as she was pressed against the helmsman. Shego smiled and moved over of her hands from the helm to put over Kim's hands on her waist. The crew knew that they had to leave the Captain alone now or they would suffer Shego's wrath. So, they all went to find things to do with their time.

Monique and Bonnie disappeared below decks. They went to their cabin and cuddled up together on a bunk. For a moment, they sat there in silence with Monique gently caressing the tan woman.

"Do you really think this is going to work out?" Bonnie asked in a low voice. To the ears of someone that knew her as well as Monique did, she knew there was some worry in Bonnie's tone.

"I have faith in Kim, Bonnie. She hasn't steered us wrong yet. She's given us a much better life then we would have if we never met her. So, we should trust her and her decisions," Monique pointed out.

"But, by taking this chance and going back to land, aren't we risking throwing that good life away?" Bonnie wondered aloud.

"Is that really what's bothering you? You think that if we go back to land again we could end up slaves?"

"Couldn't we?" Bonnie asked, her voice small.

Monique shook her head. "I don't think our Captain or our Company would let that happen. We're all here for each other. I mean, look at how Kim went out of her way for Ron when he saw Yori. And remember how they rescued all of the slaves and took us with them? They gave us this freedom and I don't think they're going to let anyone take it away. Besides, I personally promise you that you'll never be another man's toy," she vowed, her voice and embrace strong. She placed a gentle kiss to the side of Bonnie's head. Those words seemed to be just what Bonnie needed to hear.

Bonnie calmed down and snuggled closer Monique. Offering more comfort, Monique leaned down and placed a gentle kiss to Bonnie's lips. That kiss held all of the promise that this was not the end of their freedom. They were going to be all right. Not just the pair of them, but the whole crew.

* * *

By the time the sun set, Kim was sure that they were out of the Empire's reach, but she knew that the crew would not be satisfied until they never saw the Imperial Navy again. She retired to bed feeling at ease and from the light snoring coming from the body pressed against her, she was certain that Shego went to sleep without a worry. Although, Shego's near-coma could have been attributed to the activities that they engaged in before settling in the bed.

The thought actually made Kim blush, which she was glad Shego did not see. She could not believe that she felt embarrassed about an activity that she had a very active role in and thoroughly enjoyed. She knew that Shego would never let her hear the end of it if Shego ever found out. The older woman still liked teasing her about how innocent she was.

Her thoughts began to drift from the intimate exchange between her and her wife to what Shego had been interested in before they settled down for sleep. Shego had been musing aloud about what she thought was at waiting for them at the end of the map. Kim was not as certain as Shego was that there was swag at the end. It just did not seem like Betty's style. Kim eventually fell asleep wondering what was at the end of the map.

The answer to that came days later. On a bright, clear day the crew from _Anything's Possible_ could see a lush, vibrant island in the distance. The large, tilting trees called to them, beckoning them closer. They drifted on a calm sea that looked more like liquid jade than water. There was a dock for them to pull into and they stepped off the ship to a small port. They were all ready to do a dance of joy when they set foot on the solid deck of the pier and looked around at their new surroundings. They suspected it was a trading outpost, which was exactly what it was. Thankfully, Kim spoke the language of most of the people at the port and they were able to get supplies because they needed to go further inland to find the end of their map.

Getting everything that they needed did not take long, but it gave them enough time to share their speculations on what was at the end of the map. Shego figured it was a mountain of ill-gotten goodies and she rubbed her hands together just thinking about large hills of gold crowns. Bonnie imagined the same and could not wait to get her hands on all of that swag. Monique just wanted it to be a pile of currency, so she could immediately go out and buy whatever her heart's desire. The other half of the crew was not quite on the same page, though.

Wade, having heard plenty stories about Betty Blackheart and Vivian from Kim, thought that there might be a lot of great inventions at the end of the map. He could already picture himself toying with whatever gadgets were left behind. Yori was of a similar mindset, but she was thinking more along the lines of combat manuals and such, knowing that Betty Blackheart was a master of several martial arts. Ron and Rufus just hoped a decent meal was involved in all of that and thought about the millions of decent meals he would be able to afford once they got to the end of the map.

Kim was trying to figure out what her former captain would label "dreams." She supposed that it could be money to buy whatever Betty and Vivian had planned for the future, but she was not sure about that. She then considered it might be something to do with a business since she knew that Betty and Vivian thought about life beyond being pirates. She was not sure why they would have a map to a business, though.

"Look, you guys and stuff all of your idiotic ideas. Betty was a true pirate and we are going to be rolling in gold crowns," Shego declared, letting the crew know that she thought her theory was best.

"I won't argue with that," Bonnie replied. She just wanted enough money that no matter where she went, all people would see was the wealth. And if they did not see the wealth, then she had enough money to buy revenge.

"Money is a good thing," Ron agreed, even though they had more than they would ever be able to spend already.

Kim chuckled a bit. The rest of the crew did agree with Ron. Money was certainly a good thing and living to be able to spend it would be even better. But, first, they had to get to it.

The Captain found out that they did not have to go very far into the interior of the island. Their map ended a half-day's ride to the north. They rented four horses—Wade having one to himself while the others paired off—and started off down the road. The tropical scenery that they passed on the way took their breath away. The only thing that came close to such beauty was the Empire's southern colonies.

"This place is magnificent," Yori whispered in awe as she took in just the lush, beautiful trees. The whole island looked alive.

"That place is even better," Shego remarked, pointing ahead of them to a large manor house on a hill.

Kim's brow furrowed as she looked at the house. Something was not right here, she silently noted. She did not say anything and the crew pressed on, having to go through what they suspected was the manor's property. From what they could tell, this was a plantation, but they were not sure what type of fruit the plantation was growing because they had never seen it before. The fruit did not catch Kim's attention because she was caught by surprise as to who was in front of the manor house, pruning a small garden.

"Vivian?" Kim whispered in shock and awe. She would know that body type and sun-colored hair anywhere. "VIVIAN!"

The blonde turned around because of the sound of her name. A wide smile took over her tanned face as she saw the group on horseback. She rushed over to them as Kim practically fell off of the horse to get to the blonde. The two enveloped each other in a tight embrace.

"Oh my god! I didn't think I'd ever see you again! I thought you were dead!" Kim said, tears flowing down her face. Despite the fact that she was crying, her smile seemed like it was putting her face in danger of splitting open.

Vivian laughed and waved the redhead off as if that was the most outrageous thing that she had ever heard. "Don't be silly, dear. Nothing stops me or the old hound Betty Blackheart," she remarked. She pulled out a soft lace from her gardening pants and wiped away the tears from olive eyes.

"Did Betty survive too?" Kim begged to know, even though she figured that she knew the answer to that.

"Why don't you and your friends come inside? You can see our wonderful home. We can get you all cleaned up and well fed. You can wow us with tales of your adventures," Vivian commented, eyes going teasingly wide.

Kim nodded and turned her attention to her crew. Smiling from ear to ear, she introduced them to Vivian. "Guys, this is my mentor and dear friend, Vivian Porter. She taught me everything I know about navigation, friendship, and living. She's offering us food, baths, and knowing her, anything else that we might want."

"Pretty much," Vivian agreed with a bright smile of her own.

No one argued that considering the fact that they had been trapped on their ship for the most part for the past few weeks. Vivian led them inside, assuring them that the horses would be taken care of. The house was as awesome inside as it was outside without being pretentious. There were a couple of maids milling about the place, but nowhere near as many servants as the pirates expected of such a large house.

"Now, everyone can get bathed and properly dressed and then you can meet us for supper," Vivian declared.

"Why do you keep saying 'us'?" Monique asked curiously.

"You'll find out. Now, please, I'll get everything ready for your baths. I'll also get you some rooms," Vivian said, clapping as if thoroughly pleased with her own ideas.

"Whoa, hold on. We're not staying. We've got to get to the end of the map," Shego pointed out. "Unless you've already been to the end," she commented suspiciously.

Vivian smiled brightly once more. "You've made it to the end. This is our dream." She motioned around the house, but their dreams went well beyond the walls.

"What? Where's all the treasure? The crowns? The jewels?" Shego demanded, emerald eyes blazing. Where was all of the damned money?

The blonde woman laughed, unaffected by the pale warrior. She went so far as to wiggle her index finger at Shego as if the helmsman was a naughty child. "I don't believe any of those belong to you. Everything will be explained at supper. For now, make yourselves at home," she requested, sounding as friendly as ever.

None of the crew really had a problem with that, even if they were not getting any money out of the deal. They were still getting hot baths and a warm meal! Vivian had the maids and a few other servants draw up baths for the crew. They were also given rooms. Vivian was not surprised that they only needed four rooms. She was not even surprised that Kim was going to room with Shego.

Vivian did make a mental note to inquire, not just about Kim and Shego, but the other couples as well. She was terribly curious about the crew that Kim managed to put together. After all, a few tales of their exploits that even reached the tiny island that she now lived on.

The Possible crew was all cleaned up and given new, comfortable clothing. Kim was the only one familiar with the style, but even she was unaccustomed to wearing it. It took a bit of trial and error to figure out how to close some of it because it seemed like there were buttons and laces everywhere. No one complained because the clothing was fresh and felt a lot better than what they had been wearing. They were all able to rest up for a while before being led down to the dining room for supper.

The only two people at the long table were Vivian and a clean-cut brunette. The Possible crew was not too sure if the brunette was male or female, mostly because the formal clothing hid the body rather well. Well, Kim knew and she could not help grinning. She charged the head of the table and flung herself onto the brunette. The embrace was almost a choke-hold, but the brunette did not say anything.

"Betty! You're looking good for a dead woman!" Kim declared with a happy smile, pulling away a bit and allowing her former captain a chance to breathe.

Betty laughed, throwing her head back. "You're looking good for someone wanted by the whole Empire," she countered.

Kim blushed. "Not like I could do much else."

"I know. I know. Now how about getting off of me or Vivi will never let me hear the end of it," Betty pointed out because she could see the blonde itching to ruin the moment with a smart remark.

Kim chuckled and glanced back at Shego, who was not looking too pleased with the display either. "Uh…you're not going to be the only one in trouble, it seems," she muttered as she eased off of Betty's lap. She sat down next to Betty, across from Vivian.

Shego sat down next to her captain, making sure to sit as close as possible without merging with Kim. The rest of the crew followed suit, pulling up to the table, which was bare except for some glasses with water and bread. The crew did hope that it would soon be covered in food because they all felt hungry enough to devour a whole whale on their own.

"I knew you'd make it here, Mermaid," Betty commented, a small, satisfied smile on her face. From the moment that she handed Kim her map, she knew that one day the redhead would come. She just did not expect Kim to come with a whole crew of her own.

"Don't let her fool you. She worried every day. She always runs down to the docks to find out if you ever came in," Vivian stated, a playful smile on her face.

"Quiet," Betty shushed the blonde, waving her hand at Vivian a bit.

"Umm…excuse me, but who are you?" Monique inquired, speaking to the woman at the head of the table. She hated breaking up whatever reunion was going on, but the Captain had failed to make any kind of introductions and she would like to know who was hosting them.

"Oh, excuse me. I'm Betty Porter, formerly known as Betty Director and Betty Blackheart. Kim knew me best by the latter name. Vivian and I, as well as some of my crew, now inhabit this island. I took Vivian's name to avoid trouble, but there isn't much. The government finds us to be a pretty valuable resource, so they're not about to allow any trouble to come to us. Besides, people don't assume anything about two women living together with the same last name. They tend to assume we're sisters, even though we look nothing alike," the brunette explained.

"Betty is obviously the older sister," Vivian teased, earning a mock glare from the one-eyed woman. The blond smiled and took Betty's hand, which seemed to ease whatever problems her remark caused. The brief exchange let the whole crew know the nature of their relationship.

"You help this government?" Kim asked. It seemed odd to her that Betty would not want to a keep a low profile, just in case.

"They're providing us with sanctuary because they know we can be of use to them. It's a good way to make sure the Empire doesn't come some place they're not welcome. Aside from advising the government on a few measures to keep pirates off of their ships, we grow fruit. Mostly pineapples and tomatoes, but a few others. Some of the crew help on the farm, but others who had the money bought land of their own, further on the island. Some of them work for my shipping company."

"Oh, you started your own company?" Kim inquired, not very surprised by it. Shipping always seemed like it was Betty's passion more than anything else. Plus, Betty and Vivian both loved the water.

Betty nodded. "Mostly now I'm just moving things on this island to nearby islands, but it's been growing steadily. A few ships have taken things to the mainland. I'm sure it'll end up where I want it eventually. I just need to give it time, which I have now. Now, what about you?"

Kim looked down at her crew, everyone looking as perplexed as she felt. "I'm not really sure. For the past year, we've just been following the map…and now we're at the end." It was like they never thought that they would get there because they had not discussed any plans for what they would do next. She was not even sure if they would stay together, even though she hoped that they did.

Vivian smiled and shook her head. "No, no, no. You're at the beginning. This is a fresh start for all of you. Here, you're not criminals or pirates. You're not a threat to the Empire. You're regular people with no one after you. Make good use of your new start. Some aren't this lucky."

"…Can all of us…do that?" Monique asked quietly, voice full of hope.

"Slavery of all types was outlawed here last year. It was a gradual thing, but it is gone. They started in their own capitol and then the mother nation and it filtered out to the colonies. Added to that, women can own land and businesses. It takes more time and patience than it would for a man, but it can be done. So, yes, everyone can make a fresh start," Vivian answered with a smile, happy to bear good news. "I hope you guys stay here until you know exactly what you want to do."

The Possible crew was not sure what to say. They were saved from talking as food was brought in. They had never seen such banquet before and only waited a few seconds before they started to eat. It was hands down the best meal that they had ever had in the lives. It was a great way to start their new lives.

* * *

Epilogue on the way.


	21. Epilogue: Endless possibilities

I don't own these characters.

Epilogue: Endless possibilities

It was not hard for the Possible Company to start their new lives. The island was kind to the whole crew…not that they were a crew anymore. They still considered themselves a family, though. They were all they had, not that they saw a problem with that. They all knew that they would be there for each other if necessary and they knew that they could not ask for anything more from someone.

It barely took them all a couple of months to figure out what they wanted to do with themselves, their freedom, and their plunder from piracy, especially when they saw all of the opportunities on the island. They were welcomed to stay at Porter manor, as Betty and Vivian called their home, for as long as they needed to, especially when needing to launch their own dreams. Some stayed longer than others.

Wade was the first to venture out on his own. He claimed that he could not stand all of the couples and their lovey-dovey behavior; not his exact words, but close enough. Everyone laughed when he pointed that out, but they supported his decision. They all helped out in what he wanted to do.

Wade opened a carpentry business in town. At first, things were a bit slow. No one really paid him any mind because there were plenty of more established carpenters in town. But, as always he could rely on his crew to help him. Ron and Yori requested that Wade build a home for them on some land that they purchased. Wade eagerly jumped at the chance to help his friends and to show off his skills.

People immediately noticed the huge and beautiful house that Wade designed and built for Ron and Yori. It was close to a dazzling waterfall and designed like the homes in Yori's native land. He also modeled all of the furniture to look like the furnishings of her ancestral home. It was a bit difficult for him to do with Ron and Yori's house because he had never been to Yori's home country, but she described things well enough for him to work through it. Whenever he got confused, she was right there to help him through it and he was able to make everything just as she remembered it or wanted it. After that, things just sort of fell into place for the brilliant carpenter.

Soon, Wade and his young business were doing great, creating and repairing all sorts of things. Over time, he handcrafted all of the furniture in his friends' homes. He eventually began designing and building ships for Betty's growing shipping company; she helped a lot in that regard, knowing how she wanted her ships to be capable of.

His busy shop was located in town and he lived in an apartment above it, which was move like a private workshop than anything else. It was not long before there were over a dozen men working for him and he was thinking about taking on his own apprentice.

He ran the idea by Kim—the crew still sort of looked at her as their captain and her opinion mattered. Kim flashed her usual encouraging smile and told him to go for it. She offered ideas on how he might find an apprentice since she was much more social than he was, so she knew more people. He smiled at the eager help.

"It's no problem, Wade! I want to help you with your dream and your future!" Kim declared, getting on task quickly.

Kim worked really hard, really quick. She easily found a young man by the name of Felix Renton. Felix was already an architect and could design structures, but he did not know how to make them with his bare hands. Wade welcomed him on board and they were getting along swimmingly last time Kim checked. Wade actually wanted to give Kim a gift for finding him such a wonderful apprentice.

* * *

Ron wasted no time opening a restaurant in town with all of everyone's support. Hell, Wade helped reinforce the building that Ron bought for the place and rebuilt much of the furniture himself. The whole crew helped paint and arrange the place. The day the place open, the whole crew was there and ready to eat. They were addicted from the start.

"Ron can actually work magic if he has the time, the right stuff, and steady ground apparently," Monique declared, grabbing for one of the many bowls on the large table the crew was sitting around. Betty and Vivian joined them on the venture, enjoying the grub just as much as everyone else.

The table was covered in food. It was either in deep bowls or large plates. They were grabbing what they wanted and put the food on their own plates. Everyone had a stack of food and did not seem to be letting up.

"He is quite the chef," Vivian agreed, taking some flat bread and dipping it in a food that she could not even identify. She just knew it was damned tasty.

"I can assume you guys were never hurting for good food while out to sea," Betty remarked, finishing up one morsel and starting on another.

"No, Ron always took excellent care of us," Kim replied before leaning over to Shego and eating the fruit that the older woman was about to put in her own mouth. Kim gave her an innocent, impish look.

"Why don't you try eating your own food? It all tastes the same," Shego pointed out, pretending to be huffy.

"No, it tastes the best when I take it from you," Kim assured her with another impish smile.

"She's right," Vivian concurred before leaning over and nipping Betty's food from her fingers. She went a step further, lingering on Betty's fingers for a moment while throwing the one-eyed woman a coy look.

Betty frowned and rolled her eye. "That look isn't always going to work," she lied. She knew it would work from now until the end of time.

"I might have to stop eating with you married folks," Wade teased, laughing while reaching for some more of the huge spread of food. He was used to their antics at the table, so it really did not bother him.

The three couples laughed with him, but did not cut out their hijinks. In fact, they seemed to go out of their way to be even more ridiculous after that. Bonnie ended up getting up from her seat and sitting in Monique's lap while Monique fed her. Vivian and Betty took turns feeding each other too. And no one wanted to contemplate where Shego's hand went as it left the table. All and all, everyone had a great time with very good food.

"All the boy needs is some decent wine and we might never leave!" Betty declared and she got agreements from Shego and Monique surprisingly enough. "I have to make sure I get him some fine wine to go with all of this delicious food," the former captain decided. The lack of good wine did not stop the feast.

The group all ate there about four days a week and found each meal better than the last. Many people in town agreed with them. Business was booming for the former ship cook. His joy and success had his beloved considering starting her own business and finding her own passion.

Yori began kicking around the idea of opening a martial arts school, but she was not too sure if she wanted to call that much attention to her considering what she went through with Monkey Fist. But, the idea was very tempting since martial arts was her joy and she noticed that the people of the island practiced their own style. Surely someone would like to learn another. She decided to run the idea by Ron first and get his thoughts.

"A martial arts school?" the blond chef echoed, milling about their bedroom just because he was not ready to lie down just yet.

"Yes. I wish to practice, but I also wish to teach. One of the things I greatly miss about home is my school. My fellow students, my devoted teachers, and sheer camaraderie," Yori replied, longing in her voice. Her life before Monkey Fist had been one of learning her skills at her school. It was the only life that she knew before being kidnapped and enslaved by that madman.

"Then go for it, Yori! Open your school and it'll be great," Ron declared. He honestly thought that she should just go for it.

Yori smiled softly. "You make it seem so easy. Where would I get trustworthy students?" she pointed out.

"Are you kidding? That's the easiest thing! You just ask Kim for help. Did you see how quickly she found Felix for Wade?" he reminded her.

Yori nodded; she could not argue with that point. So, the next time that she saw Kim, she requested her help. The redhead was on it in an instant, knowing just who she thought would make the perfect students for Yori. She gathered a couple of small children and five young teens that Kim was certain Yori would enjoy working with.

Kim once again proved correct. Yori loved her students almost immediately. They were all eager to learn and hard working. Yori welcomed them into her home and they knew without being told to treat it with serious respect. They heeded all of her teachings and were always thankful for her teaching them.

Ron was thankful that Yori was happy again. He thanked Kim until his mouth was dry, but she waved it off as "no big." That was expected of her and she just let it go, feeling like she was doing what she was supposed to do. Still, Ron tried to figure out ways to pay their former captain back, but nothing really came to mind. Kim seemed content for the moment and he was not sure what he could give her aside from his gratitude. He was tempted to ask Shego, but he would need the time and to catch up with her. She was hard to pin down now that she had a bunch of free time and he did not. So, for the moment, he let it go.

* * *

Bonnie and Monique were the next to get out of the Porter manor house. Monique knew that they had to leave or someone was going to kill Bonnie. She just could not understand why her companion always had to run off at the mouth, especially to people that Bonnie was more than aware could kick her ass twice before she even realized it. Still, she could tell that Bonnie was working everyone's last nerve and it was time to go, especially when Vivian started rolling out the threats toward Bonnie.

Bonnie and Monique had a somewhat small house built for them by Wade. It was large by most standards, but compared to the Porter manor house and Ron and Yori's Eastern-style mansion, their home was not as huge. They did have a wonderful garden complete with a man-made pond and waterfall. It was luxury that Monique insisted on and she planned to spend a lot of time relaxing in the garden; it was a joy that she picked up from Vivian, even though they had different styles of gardens.

Vivian and Kim had both helped with constructing the garden. It was a fun job that involved a lot of playing around, especially when water was filled into the pond. They suddenly found themselves swimming more often than they found themselves aranging plants.

"I think I'm going to have to talk Betty into getting a pond!" Vivian giggled as she waded around in the water.

"Or we could just move in here," Kim remarked. She was floating on her back, gazing up at the sky.

"Like hell!" Bonnie barked. She was sitting on the edge of the pond, dangling her feet in. She was not in the mood to swim...yet. "In fact, you two need to get going, right now!" she ordered.

"And why is that?" Vivian asked curiously, paying close attention to Bonnie and noticing that the tan woman was not really focusing on she or Kim. She then followed Bonnie's blue-green and saw where Bonnie's attention was. "Kimmie, dear, I think we should take our leave. After all, it's never a good idea for us to leave our spouses alone for a long period of time," the blonde woman stated.

"Yes, that's true. With our luck, they'll be drunk and singing pirate songs when we get home," Kim remarked. It had happened a few times already.

Monique laughed. "Okay, hopefully, we can get this garden going sometime this lifetime, though."

Kim and Vivian laughed too and pulled themselves out of the pond. They let themselves out while Monique turned her attention to Bonnie. Bonnie glanced behind her to make sure their company was gone before ripping her clothing away and diving into the pond. She swam over to Monique and they met with a splash and a clash of their lips.

"I can't believe this is all ours," Monique commented as they parted.

"I can't believe all this is mine," Bonnie remarked, pulling Monique's body closer to hers.

Monique smiled; it was little things like that that kept her with Bonnie. Well, words like that and the fact that when Bonnie kissed her, she felt dozens of wonderful emotions course through her. Bonnie held her like she was most precious thing on Earth. She could only hope that she showed those emotions and passed them to Bonnie whenever they touched.

"What say we move this inside the house?" Monique proposed.

"Why? This is all our property and we don't have to worry about anyone entering that we did not invite. Isn't that one of the best liberties we have?" Bonnie pointed out with a smile.

Monique smiled and nodded, agreeing with that. She then leaned in for another kiss while Bonnie rid her of her shirt. They then enjoyed their own private land and their leisure time.

Eventually, the couple made it out of the pond. The garden was also eventually completed. It was a garden to be envied; they knew that because Vivian certainly envied it. Once their home was finished, Monique and Bonnie searched for ways to occupy their free time, aside from hanging out with their crew, which they did quite often.

Bonnie spent her days lounging in the garden while Monique found joy in teaching children how to read. Sometimes, she would bring the children to the house and they would enjoy the garden as well as their lessons. On very rare occasions, Bonnie would join in and read with them. On other occasions, Bonnie would resist the children urging her to read with them, needing her alone time.

Monique suspected that Bonnie used the alone time to continue to come to grips with their freedom. She had never realized how hard slavery had been on Bonnie until they were free. While she and Wade easily cast off the shackles and moved on into society, Bonnie wrestled with it. Monique tried to talk to Bonnie about it, but Bonnie could not really put her troubles into words. Monique figured that it was something only time would be able to heal. Bonnie silently agreed.

The couple also spent time fixing up their home, decorating it with treasures; some of those purchased and others kept over from their adventures on _Anything's Possible_. They thoroughly enjoyed this. There was something about making a space their own that touched them deep within and often, they were overwhelmed while doing it. Sometimes, they had breakdowns, amazed that all of this was theirs when around the same time last year they had been someone's property and toys.

Once the house was somewhat how they wanted it, they both decided that it was time to relax for the most part. They had enough money to easily hire servants, but they did not have many. Just enough so Bonnie did not have to do much and was not calling Monique every five minutes for something.

They started a small farm and raised some livestock when they got bored again. The animals mostly just provided them with eggs and milk. Whatever they did not use, they would send to their friends.

Bonnie still practiced her marksmanship. Collecting guns became a passion of hers and she took up hunting. Whatever she killed went to Ron for use at his restaurant because Bonnie did not believe in keeping and displaying anything that she hunted. She just wanted to stay sharp and Ron needed meat anyway, so it was a win-win situation for them both, not that Bonnie would admit to helping Ron in any way, shape, or form.

Most of the former crew suspected that Bonnie was going to get into some kind of weapons business when she was done lying about like a lazy cat. She knew too much about guns and how to use them and liked them too much to not do anything with the knowledge. Monique just hoped that her companion did not end up shooting someone.

Mostly, Bonnie and Monique enjoyed being independent, just like the rest of the crew.

* * *

And then there were Kim and Shego. Kim and Shego stayed the longest at the Porter manor, which was no real surprise. Kim was enjoying her former captain and her mentor. They got along on land just as well as they did at sea. Her wife did not make waves with the relationship either. In fact, Shego only added to their group dynamic.

Shego found that she and Betty got along quite well, especially when they were getting in trouble with their women. And get in trouble they did. It was always something with the pair and it did not help when they found a common interest that only led to more trouble.

Betty and Shego became drinking buddies since Kim was still only interested in tea. Betty introduced Shego to what the green-skinned woman amounted was the greatest drink in the world—plum wine. Shego loved the stuff.

"This stuff is great," the pale warrior declared, holding a goblet half-full of the rich wine. She and Betty were reclining in one of the many rooms in Porter manor.

"I know, I know. I told you that, in fact!" Betty pointed out with a laugh.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. They sell this stuff in taverns around here too?" Shego inquired.

"Yeah and a lot of other good local drinks," Betty replied with a smile.

"We need to sample some. Now," Shego proclaimed, jumping up...a little too fast for her own, drunken good. Wobbling, but staying on her feet, she motioned for Betty to get up too.

"We better get moving before the wives get back then," Betty said. She was aware that they were drunk and their women did not like them leaving the house intoxicated. Well, if they got out of there soon enough, their women would not have to know, they both figured.

"Yeah!"

And with that, they staggered into town to do some bar-hopping. Most of the locals knew them and knew not to start anything with them, especially since they were already drunk out of their minds. When they were drunk, their brains did not tell them hold back in fights. But, some sailors that were in town did not know them and soon there was a fight going on. The bar owner could only watch in horror and send someone to try to find Kim or Vivian to take control of the situation. That someone was able to find both women a few minutes later.

"Of course," Vivian sighed as she and Kim entered the tavern. The fight was over and sailors littered the ground while Betty and Shego were calling for another round—if they meant drink or fighting, no one knew.

"I think you two have had enough," Kim declared and she meant of both drink and fighting.

"It's never enough, Princess. Come on, sit down with us and have a drink," Shego replied, waving her lover over.

Kim shook her head, noting the deep flush of her lover's features. The redhead took hold of Shego, yanking her out of the bar. Before leaving, the former captain nodded an apology to the bar owner; she would later pay for the damages.

Vivian followed her out, pulling Betty by the ear as if she was a naughty child. Shego and Betty were scolded all the way back to the manor house. Vivian and Kim suspected that their spouses were not paying attention to them, especially when the two drunk women started pawing at Vivian and Kim.

By the time they got to the manor, Vivian and Kim were trying to pry their lovers off of them more than reprimand them for their drinking. It turned out that Betty and Shego were all smoke and no fire that night because they both passed out as soon as they hit their beds. Vivian and Kim stayed up, trying to figure out what they were going to do with those two.

"We need to get Shego a hobby," Vivian said.

Kim nodded in agreement. Shego was the one with too much time on her hands. Betty had her shipping company to run, but would play with Shego whenever the green-skinned woman looked bored. The pair just took to each other like long-lost sisters. So, to settle them both down, they needed to settle Shego down.

"Shego seems to have taken a keen interest in the plum wine that she and Betty always share," Vivian pointed out.

"You think more wine is the solution to this problem?" Kim inquired with a skeptically raised eyebrow. As far as she was concerned, more wine never solved anything.

"I think it would lie within," the blonde said.

Kim nodded and thought on it. "Shego and Betty share more interest than just the wine, right?" she asked. It felt like a leading question to Vivian.

"The wine seems to be an opening for them to go over the vast number of things they have in common, including debating," Vivian replied.

"The debates sometimes turn scientific."

"If they're sober enough to make an intelligent conversation, yes," Vivian concurred.

"I know what to do. But, it'll probably lead to more wine tasting for the both of them."

"As long as it keeps them out of taverns, I will back you up on it."

Kim smiled and then put her plan in motion. It started with an innocent question, asking Shego how plum wine was made and how she thought the process affected the taste of each wine. Shego had not known the answer, but it made her curious. From there, Shego was off, learning the process and trying to figure out why some wines were better than others.

Now with a serious interest and beyond basic knowledge, Shego decided to make plum wine her business because she thought that she could make wine better than anyone else on the island. She experimented with lots of different fruits and spices, creating all sorts of different drinks. A few of the things that she had come up with were getting very popular throughout the world. And, of course, to get her cargo around, she used Betty's shipping. No one could figure out why, but Betty's ships never seemed to get touched by pirates.

Eventually, Kim and Shego moved out of the manor house too. They built a house on the hill overlooking their lands, full of growing fruit. Shego wanted their home to best Betty and Vivian's manor house, which it did. Kim wanted a garden similar to the one that Monique had, so that was done. Their land was not too far from their dear friends, allotting them the chance to get together daily if they wanted to.

They did not see their crewmates as often as they used to, though. It was understandable since everyone now had lives of their own and their own business to take care of. But, they all tried their best to get together. Other times, they ran into each other while at Ron's restaurant. It was rare for them to all run into each other at the same time, so they tried to schedule meetings for everyone to gather.

Sometimes, they would all get together for dinner at the Porter manor and catch up on each other's lives. These times were very high-spirited and incredibly joyful. But, something odd always happened after Shego and Kim all returned home.

Kim's eyes seemed duller than usual and her smile went missing for days after the festivities. Shego noticed this after a couple of gatherings and then she brought it up to others later on. Betty, Vivian, and Ron all agreed with Shego's assessment. They all also let her know that she was supposed to be the one to find out what was wrong with Kim since she was supposed to take care of the redhead. Shego assumed the role with vigor.

One night, while they were lying in bed after one of their gatherings, Shego decided to go for it. "Kimmie, you okay?" she asked, caressing her lover's bare arm.

"Why do you ask?" Kim countered, curling into her lover's body as if she was trying to merge with her.

"Well, you have been quiet since we left Betty and Vivian's house."

Kim nodded. "Shego, do we feel like a family to you when we get together?" The question was posed in a quiet tone.

"A family? Yeah, I guess. A really dysfunctional, crazy family, but a family nonetheless. We are all really close," the older woman admitted. In fact, she liked how close they were. It felt great knowing that she had such good friends that would do anything for her and she would do anything for in return, even Bonnie. Not that she would ever say that out loud.

"See I feel that way too. I hate it when we part with our family," the redhead confessed. She hated that they were not always together anymore.

"But, we're going to see them again. Some—Bonnie—sooner than we want to," Shego remarked.

"But, sometimes I think it could be the last time. You never know…" Kim trailed off, but Shego got the real meaning to the words.

There was a moment of silence between them as Shego absorbed what she was being told. She leaned down and kissed the top of Kim's head, hoping to bring some comfort to the younger woman.

"You miss them, don't you?" Shego asked.

Kim nodded and her voice sounded so tearful as she responded. "Every single day now that things have calmed down. Before, I always felt like I was running at top speed. I never had a chance to think about it. I never had a chance to miss them, but now that things have slowed down and I'm not being consumed every second, I miss them all the time. I wonder, do they think I'm dead? Do they know I wasn't responsible for Josh's death? What would they think of me if they knew I was a pirate? What would they think of you if they knew you were the love of my life? So many questions and no answers."

"You know, you're generally not this pessimistic, so I know this really does bother you. Would you really introduce me as the love of your life to them?"

"Of course I would. They might not understand, just like I didn't at first, but they would accept you with open arms because you've taken such great care of me," Kim declared with confidence.

Shego smiled and placed a gentle kiss to Kim's cheek. She believed Kim. And because she believed Kim, she knew what she had to do. Not just for her wife, but for herself.

* * *

Kim was bouncing on her heels as she stood on the dock. She was dressed in a dress of fine cloth, but not the cumbersome gowns most ladies were expected to wear. Shego was standing next to her, dressed in equally fine cloth, but wearing trousers with a ruffled shirt and thin jacket. It was some of their best clothing; usually, they walked around in average clothing that anyone in the port would wear. Shego put her hand around Kim's shoulders to keep the redhead from jumping right off of the deck.

"Calm down, Princess. The ship isn't going to get here any faster if you spring off the pier into the ocean," Shego pointed out.

"I just can't believe this is happening! I mean, it's been three years!" Kim said with excitement beaming off of her.

"Yeah, so three more minutes shouldn't bother you much. I knew I should've had Vivian do this with you, but knowing her, she'd be bouncing just as much as you are and you'd have both just sunk the dock," Shego snorted.

"Why? You want to go boozing around with Betty? You two can do that tomorrow, even though I would prefer you don't do it at all. You two get into a lot of trouble when you're drunk." As much as she and Vivian tried to stop them, there were still periods of time when Shego and Betty got together to wreak havoc on the town and unsuspecting sailors.

Shego snorted again. "You're no better and you're not even drunk when it happens. You and Yori drink tea and get into just as much trouble when Bets and I have some plum wine. I should've kept this a secret from you," she sighed because Kim was still hopping on her heels. She thought that Kim might bounce through the pier at the rate she was going.

"You wouldn't have been able to do that. I knew something was up. You're all horrible at keeping secrets from me, especially when you and Bonnie are trying to be nice to me," Kim replied with a grin.

"Hey, I'm always nice to you," the pale woman declared with a cocky half-smirk.

Kim was about to give a smart retort, but she noticed people disembarking one of the ships. A huge grin full of infinite happiness spread across her face. The light in her eyes was almost blinding.

"There they are!" Kim took off down the pier. "MOM! DAD!" At the sound of her voice, four people turned. She threw herself into her mother and father before they even had a chance to open their arms. She engulfed them in a tight hug and cried tears of joy. She then moved to include her brothers in the embrace. Now she was getting her true fresh start with her family by her side.

* * *

The end. I hope you guys enjoyed the ride. I would like to thank my beta, Ken-zero, and everyone that took the time to read this. Thanks for the support. I'm off to write my next story.


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